Cher feared she would die from a hangover.

The 78-year-old singer has never "drank much" but one evening in her 20s, she overindulged and felt so ill the next day, she went to see her doctor to find out if the aftermath of too much alcohol could kill her.

She told The Times newspaper: "Oh yeah, I was really frightened.

"Occasionally I'll have a glass of champagne with my friends just to shut them up, because otherwise they'll make fun of me and be a major pain in the a**."

The 'Believe' hitmaker was also put off drugs from a teenage experience that left her so "messed up" she missed a night out with her friends.

She said: "There was one time when I was a teenager and all my friends were taking this drug, a Quaalude or something, so I took it too.

"I was so messed up that they parked me outside in a car while they all went into a disco. That's when I realised: drugs and me were never going to be great.

"I smoked pot a couple of times. Didn't like it. I've been surrounded by alcoholics and drug addicts all my life and it's never appealed to me."

Cher - who has adults sons Chaz and Elijah from previous relationships - is currently dating 38-year-old Alexander 'AE' Edwards and she loves how well they get along despite coming from such "different worlds".

She said: "We get along really well, even though we come from two completely different worlds.

"I can give him a different viewpoint on music and he talks to me about black culture in a way I could never know otherwise.

"I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but black people are so expressive. They laugh more; they cry more. Everything comes out bigger and better."

The 'Mermaids' actress has always had a big fanbase of gay men and she can understand why they connect with her so much.

She said: "Because we're the same.

"We're both outsiders, and they're always there for me no matter if I'm failing, succeeding…

"Actually, we're there for each other and it's been a relationship for ever. I met my first gay guys aged nine and thought: where have they been hiding? They're funny, outgoing and not afraid to show emotion… All the things I like, you know?"