Winehouse on road to recovery, says her mother

Amy Winehouse's mother has spoken of her pride at her daughter's Grammy success and her hopes that the troubled star is on "the road to recovery".

Winehouse won five Grammy awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her autobiographical hit 'Rehab', but could not attend the ceremony because of visa problems, performing instead via satellite from London.

Her mother Janis Winehouse told GMTV today: "Well, as you saw, she looks good and it's a case of she's on the road, and that's what it's about, she's on the road to recovery."

She said it was probably best that her daughter did not end up going to the LA ceremony.

"I think it would have been too much for her because all of the travelling and flying there, I mean seeing what the Grammys was like ... we could see it live from there and I thought if Amy were there, she'd be lost in it, she'd be a little girl lost in it."

Mrs Winehouse said of her performance: "Well, it's Amy coming back, she's definitely on the way back."

She spoke of the family's fears for the singer's health before she entered a London rehab clinic, saying: "She was sort of with it but not with it, and that's the thing where I think fortunately, thank goodness in our family, she's got a solid family and we're all there for her."

The Grammy awards came after a fantastic year professionally for Winehouse, but amid considerable uncertainty about her wellbeing.

Her bizarre behaviour has been a concern to fans for some time, but the arrest of her husband Blake Fielder-Civil appeared to push her to a new low.

Fielder-Civil was arrested after allegedly trying to bribe a pub barman he is accused of attacking and is in prison on remand.

Mrs Winehouse declined to say if her daughter was upset that Fielder-Civil was not able to share her awards success, saying: "Mmm yes, yes, I'll leave that one."

She said: "You know, I was helpless because there was nothing I could do because Amy had to do it for Amy and that's the way it is.

"So you know it's a case of life is a weird, weird thing. Things are thrown in that are good, but there's a bad there and there's a good there and you've always got to have a balance, definitely."

US singer Natalie Cole, who handed out the Record of the Year award, hit out at the decision to reward Winehouse with Grammy success.

"I don't think she should have won. I think it sends a bad message to our young people who are trying to get into this business, the ones who are trying to do it right and really trying to keep themselves together. We have to stop rewarding bad behaviour," said Cole, 58, who has battled her own drug problems in the past.

"I'm sorry. I think the girl is talented, gifted, but it's not right for her to be able to have her cake and eat it too. She needs to get herself together."

"The girl really has a problem, and I think for those of us who have been in the business long enough, we know the sacrifice it takes. This is about discipline and hard work, and you don't get to just do your drugs and go on stage and get rewarded."

Winehouse's father, Mitch, said appearing at the Grammys was part of the rehab process.

He told Vanessa Feltz on BBC London 94.9: "The main thrust of the treatment is goals and rewards. The very first goal was the Grammys. The reason that we did it is she achieved her goal and the next goal is the Brits. So, this is part of the ongoing treatment."

Mr Winehouse said his daughter was thrilled by her Grammy success.

"I've never seen her so excited in my life about anything. It was incredible to see and she was absolutely elated," he said.