Niall Horan has voiced his support for close friend and fellow music artist Lewis Capaldi. after the Scottish singer-songwriter announced his break from touring.
Capaldi experienced difficulties while performing his set on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage on Saturday (24 June), including vocal issues and tics as a result of his Tourette syndrome.
On Tuesday (27 June), the Scottish singer-songwriter announced that he was ceasing live performances “for the foreseeable future” to focus on bettering his mental and physical health.
Horan, 29, who established a close relationship with Capaldi, 26, after asking him to open his live shows in 2018, recently spoke about the “Bruises” singer’s choice to step away from performing.
“I speak to Lewis most days to be honest with you,” he told The Sun on Wednesday (28 June).
“So I’m really happy for Lewis that he’s able to take the time that he obviously feels he needs right now.
“But performing never gets easy. I don’t think you ever truly get used to singing in front of 100,000 people. If you have any sort of performance anxieties or anything like that then that stage can be a tough place.”
Capaldi ended his Glastonbury set with a performance of his No 1 hit, “Someone You Loved”. Early in the song, however, his voice began to give way, and the crowd sang most of the ballad in his place.
“I think they realised how much he was struggling up there. It was a proper human moment,” Horan noted.
“He’s not just the fella who sings and makes us laugh all the time, he’s the fella who also has anxieties and Tourette syndrome and it’s coming to fruition on stage.
“So I’m glad people were right there behind him showing him support.”
Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi— (Getty)
Capaldi was diagnosed with Tourette’s, a neurological condition that causes involuntary vocal and physical tics, in 2021.
Since then, he has been open about the realities of living with the condition and the realities of managing it while having a busy career.
Prior to his stepping back from live appearances “for the foreseeable future”, Capaldi had been scheduled to perform at several venues around the UK, including the Reading and Leeds festivals.
Other celebrities have voiced their support for Capaldi, including Professor Green, Radio 1 host Greg James and TV presenter Mark Wright.
