George Ezra opens up about dealing with OCD: ‘This is something that I’ve had my whole life’

Singer-songwriter said he had been using the experiences to inform the songwriting for his next album

George Ezra has opened up about his struggle with a type of OCD, known as “Pure O”, and how it has affected his music.

Speaking to BBC 5 Live’s podcast How Do You Cope?, the singer-songwriter said the condition caused him to feel “vacant to the world around him”.

“We all know OCD. We hear of extreme cases when people have to flick a light switch a certain number of times before they can leave the house,” he said.

“My understanding is that is a physical reaction to intrusive thought patterns. Pure O is when you have the thought patterns and the intrusive thoughts without any of the physical actions to relieve them.”

The Mind definition of Pure O, which stands for "purely obsessional", is as follows: "People sometimes use this phrase to describe a type of OCD where they experience distressing intrusive thoughts but there are no external signs of compulsions (for example checking or washing). The name is slightly misleading as it suggests that there are no compulsions at all.

"If you have Pure O you will still experience mental compulsions but you might not be aware of them. Because they are not as obvious as physical compulsions, it can sometimes be difficult to define exactly what these compulsions are."

Ezra, 27, said that he believed he had dealt with Pure O since he was a child, but, “as a kid, your intrusive thoughts are based in a less harmful place”.

“Then you know you grow up and you start to understand the nature of taboo. It feels like you’re testing yourself,” he said.

“It feels like you go, ‘In this situation, the worst thing you could think is...’ and then you have that thought. Then you’d think, ‘George, don’t have that thought again’, and so you do. Then you think, if you’re somebody that can have that thought, does that mean you are this person? And if so, you’re f*****g horrible mate.”

Ezra revealed that he had sought help via an intensive OCD course, and that his experiences have also been informing the writing process for his next album.

“The songs I’m writing now for my next record, are addressing far more ideas of confronting these things,” he said. “That is daunting for all of us. I believe it’s the right thing for me.”

Ezra’s latest record, Staying at Tamara’s, was released in 2018 to positive reviews, and became that year’s biggest-selling album.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can find confidential support and advice at Mind, or at Samaritans by emailing jo@samaritan.org or calling 116 123.