Anastacia says having Crohn's disease has made her stronger

Anastacia says having Crohn's disease has helped her become a stronger person.

She was diagnosed with the condition when she was 13.

It causes inflammation and ulceration of the intestine which leads to pain, weight loss and exhaustion.

The American singer releases her new single One Day In Your Life on March 25.

She says: "I have a big scar on my stomach and would never hide it. Crohn's can be debilitating, but I am lucky to be in the two to three per cent of sufferers who are relatively healthy.

"I have Crohn's friends who have been in and out of hospital, or have colostomy bags and some have died. I think I got it so young that I incorporated it into my way of living, enabling me to become stronger."

She adds that a few years ago the highlight of her career was performing cover songs at weddings.

"A few years ago the hope of me making anything of a singing career seemed non-existent. The only gigs I was doing were weddings and bar mitzvahs - I was famous for my covers.

"I did them all, Sheryl Crow, Aretha, Chaka - anything anybody wanted. I didn't care if the audience were all drunk and not watching me because I was out there singing.

"Britney Spears had been working for 10 years before anything started to happen for her. It was just that she started out when she was eight and I didn't get started until I was 18."