Tom Chaplin was addled with paranoia at the height of his fame.
The Keane frontman, 45, who spent years battling a cocaine addiction that nearly cost him his life in 2015, also admitted he was hit by a “dangerous cocktail” of problems when the group made it big.
He told The Sun: “For me, there was a dangerous cocktail of stuff that happened so fast.
“I was so insecure and thought the success of the band would fix the way I felt inside. In some ways, it does. But it’s temporary.
“As well as the adulation, there’s also the paranoia. I remember thinking everywhere I went that people were talking or laughing about me, which is unnerving.”
Keane sold more than 13 million albums, and had hit singles including ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ and ‘Everybody’s Changing’.
The group is marking the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut album ‘Hopes and Fears’ with a reissue of the record and have just launched their world tour.
Tom – who managed to kick his cocaine habit after a stint in rehab – added about looking back on himself in his younger days: “When I see old footage of myself from those days I think, ‘That guy really doesn’t know what he’s doing’.
We were a curious mixture of being ambitious, with idols who were very big and successful bands and, at the same time, we were self-conscious, self-deprecating and very unsure of ourselves.
“Thank God there wasn’t social media back then.”
Tom also opened up about the fun Keane had on the road, saying: “We’ve had loads of high points – Live 8 was pretty mad.
“Macca at the side of the stage singing along and then touring with U2 and the Grammy’s after party, which was mad.
“I was holding court with Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Dr Dre and Green Day.
“I may have been a bit (drunk) and talking absolute (rubbish) but it was fun.”