The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins hospitalised after freak accident involving melted shorts

Musician was exposed to chemicals while at home in Switzerland

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins was taken to hospital after a freak accident in which his shorts melted into his skin.

Hawkins revealed that the accident occurred while he was attempting to clean his swimming pool.

“There was a problem with the pool, a pump thing and some chemicals came out of it,” he explained in a since-deleted video uploaded to the celebrity personal message site Cameo.

“I think it was a PH negative chemical to control the acidity of the pool.”

He continued: “I was trying to fix it and I touched my legs and my shorts melted onto my legs, so then I had to go to hospital.”

Hawkins was at home in Switzerland when he was injured. The musician moved to the country in 2015.

He is currently living under lockdown with his wife and daughter, with his band’s US tour delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hawkins most recently appeared as a surprise contestant on ITV’s The Masked Singer, in which stars sing while disguised in elaborate costumes that conceal their identity.

Hawkins disguised himself as The Chameleon, ultimately leaving the show after a sing-off with former Skunk Anansie vocalist Skin, who was disguised as a duck.