Pop star reveals reality of cocaine addiction in heartbreaking before and after photos

British pop star Michelle Heaton has revealed she hit rock bottom with drug and alcohol addiction earlier this year.

The former Liberty X singer shared graphic photos showing the effects of a three-year cocaine and alcohol binge on her Instagram, reports the New York Post.

Heaton, 42, was saved due to intervention from her husband and friends in the industry, including Katie Price, who checked her into a rehab facility.

Now the singer and mother of two is clean after four weeks in rehab, marking National Sober Day and National Recovery Month with some heartbreaking photos.

The snap, taken just 20 weeks ago, shows Heaton with puffy and bloodshot eyes.

She shared it to Instagram alongside a photo of how she looks now.

"This picture is not to shock, it WAS my reality!" she wrote.

"Twenty weeks ago this was me – Ruined. The second is me today – Saved. Today I am stronger mentally and physically better than I've ever been."

She added that she wants to help destigmatise addiction, sharing some encouraging words of advice.

"Today I am stronger mentally and physically better than I've ever been. One day at a time.

"For anyone who needs help with addiction, there is help out there."

And her fans were full of praise after seeing how far she had come.

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A post shared by Michelle Heaton (@wonderwomanshel)

Heaton, who is married to Hugh Hanley, spoke up about her battle with alcohol and drugs in May.

She spoke to The Sun just 36 hours after leaving rehab, sharing that she had been drinking two bottles of wine and a bottle of vodka nearly every day since 2018 as well as snorting cocaine.

"There was a moment when I said, 'I'm not going'," she shared of her decision to head into rehab.

"My best friend kicked off at me and said, 'Michelle – you're dying'," she said.

"It was a joint effort from all my very dear friends who wanted me to live."

While in rehab she was told that a healthy level of GGT, an enzyme in the blood which shows how damaged a person's liver is, should be 30 or less. Hers was 2500.

"They had never seen a girl come in who registered that high. A therapist said to me, 'We didn't know if you were going to make it,'" she said.