George Michael has admitted he deserved to go to jail after he was found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs after he crashed his car last July.

The Fast Love singer, who spent four weeks in prison, said he was “ashamed” by his long list of misdemeanours, including repeated driving bans.

"I was assured I wasn't going to prison but I thought I was, and it was much easier to take because I felt it was deserved," he told the BBC. "This was a hugely shameful thing to have done repeatedly so karmically I felt like I had a bill to pay. I went to prison, I paid my bill.

"Remarkably enough, I know people must think it was a really horrific experience [but] it's so much easier to take any form of punishment if you believe you actually deserve it, and I did."

The singer added that he thought he received such a tough sentence because "I'm George Michael and the poster boy for cannabis".

He also described his terrifying first night in prison. "It wasn't a weekend break, put it that way. I didn't feel sorry for myself,” the star remembered. “I thought, 'Oh my God, this place is absolutely filthy'. I just thought, 'you get your head down'."