Lewis Capaldi announces break from touring amid Tourette’s struggle: “The most difficult decision of my life”

Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi on Tuesday announced a break from touring amid his ongoing struggle with Tourette Syndrome. The announcement came after a clip from his appearance Saturday at U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival went viral. 

In a statement, Capaldi said the choice to take a break was “the most difficult decision of my life.”

Capaldi, 26, started off by thanking the Glastonbury crowd “for singing along when I needed it,” when he appeared to be in the middle of a tic attack that left him unable to finish his hit single, “Someone You Loved.” The video of that performance went viral and generated an outpouring of support for the singer.

“I’m very sorry to let you know that I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this,” he added, “But the truth is, I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s, and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order.”

Capaldi said that he was “so incredibly sorry” to fans who had planned to attend shows before the end of the year.

Earlier this month, Capaldi announced that he would be canceling three weeks of shows leading up to the festival, apologizing to fans for the financial impact of the cancellations.

“I need to take these three weeks to be Lewis from Glasgow for a bit,” said the singer, clarifying that the last few months had taken a toll on him both mentally and physically.

Prior to the cancellation, Capaldi had been scheduled to play shows across the world from July through September, with the majority of concert dates sold out. 

C Mandler

C Mandler is a social media producer and trending topics writer for CBS News, focusing on American politics and LGBTQ+ issues.