Mark Owen: 'Drink no excuse for affairs'

Mark Owen has said that he does not blame his affairs on his ongoing drinking problem.

The Take That star yesterday confessed to cheating on his long-term girlfriend Emma Ferguson with a number of women before their wedding last November.

Owen told The Sun: "I want to make it absolutely clear I am not using the drink as an excuse. I've been living with the guilt.

"Maybe the drink was my way of dealing with the guilt, I don't know. My drinking is another problem I have and it hasn't helped. But I'm not blaming everything on it."

He continued: "The wedding was the point in my life from which I can go forward and change my bad habits. Since then I feel I've been doing well and winning the battle.

"I do have the occasional drink but I don't go to the level I used to. I recently went four or five weeks without having one."

Owen added: "I told the lads a few weeks ago that I am trying to deal with a drink problem. I spoke to Rob about it, too. I've always tried not to involve anyone else, including the boys.

"Maybe the lads might have suspected sometimes. But they knew I was making the right moves to go forward and they respected that."