Winehouse's dad: 'Maybe I'm to blame'

Amy Winehouse's father has reportedly admitted that his controlling manner could have contributed to his daughter's problems.

Mitch Winehouse made the admission to writer Daphne Barak, who was given access to Winehouse and her family for the book Saving Amy - published on Thursday - and an accompanying documentary.

Writing in The Mail On Sunday, Barak said that Mitch's divorce from Winehouse's mother Janis in 1992 was a "pivotal event" in the troubled singer's life.

Mitch said: "I have looked back and thought, how could we have done things differently. Maybe if I had stayed with Amy's mum – I was not unhappy with her but I wanted to be with Jane. What would that have done to me? Maybe it would have made the situation worse.

"Maybe if I had been firmer with Amy. Maybe I was too firm. We did the best that we could in our own limited way. We encouraged our children, we didn't bully them and we didn't hit them, maybe we could have done better, I don’t know."

Barak claimed that Mitch initially walked off when she pointed out that he treats his daughter like a child, not a 26-year-old woman. He later admitted: "Maybe I'm part of the problem. Sometimes I think I make the situation worse, unquestionably."