International superstar Adam Lambert is the picture of confidence when performing on stage.
He rose to fame on American Idol before launching a successful solo career and replacing the late Freddie Mercury as the new frontman of Queen.
But many people won’t be aware that the Grammy-nominated singer has also faced a slew of health problems throughout the years – including struggles with anxiety and depression and he himself has said he has struggled with weight gain.
It comes as Adam, 42, is set to star in a new eye-opening ITV music documentary on Tuesday called Adam Lambert: Out, Loud and Proud, exploring how British LGBTQ+ artists have fought for their place in the industry.
Ahead of the show’s release, MailOnline looks inside Adam Lambert’s health battles, how the star admits he ‘hit a wall,’ and later learned to ‘find the balance’ between his career and personal life.
Adam Lambert rose to fame on American Idol before launching a successful solo career and replacing the late Freddie Mercury as the new frontman of Queen, (pictured in May)
Adam Lambert’s weight loss journey
Adam has been open about the health struggles he has faced in the past, often discussing them in interviews and on social media.
During an Instagram Live session in March of this year, the star updated fans on his health journey, including how he has lost 60 pounds in eight months after being on controversial weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
Mounjaro is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight loss.
The video has since been deleted from his social media account but clips have been posted online by fans.
According to Heavy Magazine, the singer was answering questions from fans, streaming live from his dressing room for the Australian version of The Voice in Sydney.
One viewer asked Adam when he last cried, which led him to reveal he shed tears during the Oprah special about weight loss drugs, which aired on March 18 on ABC.
During the episode the singer was referencing, Oprah unpacked prescription weight loss medications with the help of experts.
During an Instagram Live session in March, the star updated fans on his health journey, including how he has lost 60 pounds in the eight months after being on the Mounjaro drug – pictured back in 2022
Adam admitted that while ‘self-love is an ever-evolving journey,’ he feels ‘more sure’ of himself than he ever has before (pictured in 2023)
Talking about how the episode left him ‘choked up,’ the American Idol star admitted: ‘Actually, I’ll use this opportunity to talk about – I’m dropping some tea on you guys right now!
‘I’ve been on Mounjaro for the last, I think, eight months and I’ve lost almost 60 pounds. I feel amazing.’
According to the outlet, he revealed that he was put on the medication due to his blood sugar levels and switched to Mounjaro after first trying Ozempic, which left him with bad side effects.
On the new drug, Adam said he feels ‘better’ and ‘more confident,’ adding that his ‘digestive system feels more regulated’.
He allegedly claimed that it helped him so much that he was able to wean himself off antidepressants.
According to CNN, back in 2009 Adam first opened up about his weight struggles with the Morning Jolt’s Larry Flick on Sirius satellite radio.
He said: ‘When I was in high school I was 250 pounds and that creates some stuff… some body image stuff, some confidence issues.’
During the 2021 now-deleted Instagram live, he also talked about how he would ‘eat his feelings’ when he was growing up and urged his followers not to judge others for their ‘relationship with food’ or ‘choose to take care of their bodies’.
Adam Lambert’s mental health struggles
In May 2020, Adam appeared on Lorraine and revealed that he was having therapy to help with his anxiety
Adam has been open about the health struggles he’s faced in the past, often discussing them in interviews and on social media (pictured in 2023)
As well as candidly speaking out about his physical struggles, the Queen frontman has also been open about his mental health.
In May 2020, Adam appeared on Lorraine and revealed that he was having therapy to help with his anxiety.
The star, speaking live via video link from Los Angeles, admitted he was battling anxiety.
He said: ‘I’m just keeping busy, speaking with a therapist as the anxiety can get real, and speaking to friends and family.’
In 2022, he also lifted the lid on his journey in an interview with Hunger Magazine, dubbing his anxiety a ‘beast’.
He again referenced how the pandemic affected him mentally, explaining: ‘I’ve definitely dealt with my share of anxiety. A pandemic is not the most relaxing thing in the world.
‘What’s great is that the more we all talk about it, the more we realise it’s pretty common, especially in this day and age.’
Fast forward to 2023, the singer spoke to People about where he is at in recent years with his mental health.
He admitted that while ‘self-love is an ever-evolving journey,’ he feels ‘more sure’ of himself than he ever has before.
Adam told the outlet that the medication he was on for anxiety and depression during a tour with Queen caused him to gain weight.
He revealed: ‘I had been going, going, going. I was burnt out and hit a wall.
‘Finding that balance between career and personal life is really important. That’s a big part of staying happy and healthy.’
Adam Lambert: Out, Loud and Proud premieres at 9pm on Wednesday 19 June on ITV1
What is the Mounjaro drug?
Mounjaro is the brand name of a drug called tirzepatide, made by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly
Mounjaro is the brand name of a drug called tirzepatide, made by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.
The drug is taken once a week via an injection and helps boost the production of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, to control type 2 diabetes.
Mounjaro patients typically start on a 2.5 mg-dose injection once per week for four weeks.
This dose is gradually bumped up by an additional 2.5mg every four weeks.
Tirzepatide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a natural hormone that tells the body when it’s full, suppressing the appetite.
This helps reduce food and calorie intake, leading to people lose more weight than they normally would in combination with diet and exercise.
But as opposed to competitors, it also mimics a second hormone which influences appetite called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), compounding the weight loss effect.
Clinical trials found that after just one year, a third of type 2 diabetics taking Mounjaro lost more than 20 per cent of their body weight.
