The 'All The Lovers' singer ' who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005 ' admitted she used to get herself into 'absolute states' before she went onstage to perform because she is so insecure.

She said: 'After being ill, I just thought, 'OK I don't know whether it was the stress that made me ill or the illness made me that way.' I don't know ' chicken or egg.

' would just be in absolute states before performing and I think there's always been a little voice in my head from when I started out, 'She can't sing, she can't do this, she can't do that'.

However, the 42-year-old star' who has been dating Spanish model Andres Velencoso since October 2008 ' revealed she no longer feels so nervous before going out on stage, though she is unsure why her outlook changed.

She explained to Attitude magazine: ' just don't stress about being on stage anymore. There could be combined reasons, maybe I've just reached my stride and I love that I've had to earn that. No one can give it to you. You've just got to learn the hard way.'

She said: 'After being ill, I just thought, 'OK I don't know whether it was the stress that made me ill or the illness made me that way.' I don't know ' chicken or egg.

'would just be in absolute states before performing and I think there's always been a little voice in my head from when I started out, 'She can't sing, she can't do this, she can't do that'.

However, the 42-year-old star' who has been dating Spanish model Andres Velencoso since October 2008 ' revealed she no longer feels so nervous before going out on stage, though she is unsure why her outlook changed.

She explained to Attitude magazine: ' just don't stress about being on stage anymore. There could be combined reasons, maybe I've just reached my stride and I love that I've had to earn that. No one can give it to you. You've just got to learn the hard way.