The Darkness have just enjoyed the start of what looks set to be a successful reunion, but member Justin Hawkins has spoken candidly about his drug hell that caused the band's original split. 

Talking exclusively to The Sun, the 36-year-old rocker explained that while his outlandish behaviour helped The Darkness to get great publicity it also destroyed the guys' relationships:

"When we were coming up I was always being provocative and saying stupid things to get a reaction."

"That side of my personality was very helpful for the band's rise but it was also the main reason I f***ed it all up for everyone. It was fun for a long time. But by the end I was fat, bloated and useless."

Remembering a particularly embarrassing incident, he added:

"I woke up in first class on a plane wearing a microphone fancy dress costume and realised to my shame that I had publicly wet myself. It was not my finest hour."

"It was during a ridiculous phase of not trusting airline food. I began to think they were putting chemicals in it to make you constipated. So I decided I wouldn't eat anything and drank until I passed out."

Over the weekend, the 'Growing On Me' stars performed at Download Festival on the main stage and you can watch part of their set here: