Charlotte Church's mother has revealed her suicide trauma and how the star rescued her.

Maria Church told the News of the World she has been self-harming for 17 years, and that after husband James' cheating she took an overdose of painkillers.

"I just wanted the pain to go away," she explained. "I knew if you took enough they would knock you out. I didn't even look to see what they were. I took about 25 till I got woozy and blacked out."

Her pop-star was the first to discover her mum after the attempt. "The next thing I remember is Charlotte shaking me to try and wake me up. She screamed, ‘What have you done, Mum? What have you taken?'"

"Charlotte rang the hospital and they said to get me in immediately," continued Maria. "My initial reaction was ‘No' in case the press found out. But Charlotte insisted, ‘Sod the press! You're ill, you could die, Mum!"

"Thank God for Charlotte. I couldn't have got through any of this without her."