Inside I'm a Celebrity star Tulisa's rocky relationship with her Irish mother, an '80s music star

I'm A Celebrity star Tulisa has candidly shared her tough upbringing with her mother Anne, who battled mental health issues throughout the star's youth.

Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder 17 years ago, Anne's struggles had a profound impact on the N-Dubz singer and former X-Factor judge.

Despite the rocky road, Tulisa's ambition to make it in showbiz kept her going. Born to an Irish mum from Churchtown, County Dublin, and a Greek Cypriot father, Tulisa grew up in a modest one-bedroom flat in North London, reports RSVP Live.

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Her mother, Anne Byrne, also hails from a musical lineage, having performed with her sisters in the '80s ensemble, Jeep. In her autobiography, Honest, released in 2012, Tulisa recounts: "Mum was obsessive about locking our front door, and it was always locked from the inside with the keys still hanging in the door."

She added: "One morning I noticed that although the key was in the lock, it hadn't been turned, and the door was actually unlocked."

Realising the potential distress it could cause her mother, she said: "Knowing that my mum would freak out and feel vulnerable if she spotted it, I turned the key and locked it myself." But this action prompted an intense reaction as she continued: "Within seconds my mum, hearing the jangle of the keys, came tearing out into the hall, screaming at me hysterically."

Tulisa revealed heart-wrenching childhood woes in the BBC documentary Tulisa: My mum and Me back in 2010, recalling how harrowing it was dealing with her mother's severe mental health issues, which led her down a path of gang culture and substance abuse. The former N-Dubz star opened up about how her mum’s schizoaffective disorder diagnosis, combining symptoms of schizophrenia and mood swings, often resulted in high drama at home.

She shared chilling details: "I guess she thought I was trying to open the door and panicked, but went completely off the deep end, accusing me of wanting to make her ill, or even kill her, and it went on and on. Incidents like this were a regular occurrence in our house, along with temper tantrums and mood swings."

The Young hitmaker got candid about how powerless she felt as a young girl coping with her mother's erratic behaviour, saying: "One of the worst things about dealing with my mum was how helpless and alone I felt at such a vulnerable age."

Tulisa also lamented the lack of support from medical professionals: "The doctors didn't seem to be able to stabilise my mother's moods and I felt myself being dragged further and further down by the environment I was forced to live in."

Seeking an escape through music, she declared: "Music and my dream of becoming a success was all that kept me going through those very dark times."

Her struggles worsened after her dad Plato exited the family home, leading to more instability and distress. Recalling her mother's unpredictable reactions, she said: "My dad left home and it triggered one of her episodes," and then described the tumultuous scenes: "One minute she'd look all mournful as if someone had died, the next she'd be angry and aggressive, smashing cupboards and shouting."

She eventually found solace at her aunt's place, moving away from the chaotic environment she was in.

"Inevitably, she went into hospital again and I stayed with my mum's older sister, Louise. She had children of her own and it was felt she was more able to look after a young girl," Tulisa wrote.

"I used to dread my mum getting better and coming home because it would mean I'd have to leave my aunt's house where I felt safe and happy and normal."

Despite the challenges, the mother and daughter have managed to maintain their relationship, with the I'm a Celebrity star often seen in photos alongside her mum over the years.

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