Celine Dion has opened up about the death of Whitney Houston, saying that she wanted to be "just like her" when she became a singer.

Speaking to Good Morning America the singer praised Houston, calling her voice "perfect".

Whilst the cause of Houston's death has yet to be confirmed, Dion also moved to criticise the role that drugs had seemingly previously affected Houston's life - and also showbusiness in general. She added:

"It’s just really unfortunate that drugs, bad people, bad ­influences took over. It took over her dreams, her love and her motherhood. When you think about Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson and Amy ­Winehouse...time after time we lose people taking pills to perform, taking pills to wake up and taking pills to go to bed. I'm scared of showbusiness, I'm scared of drugs, I'm scared of hanging out, and that’s why I don’t do parties and hang out."