Hell-raising rock musician Pete Doherty has claimed he is ready to join a church and serve the Lord.
The star – known for his years of booze and drugs benders – reckons he could be a man of God.
Doherty, 43, said: “It’s a genuine thing for me. I enjoy going to church, singing to God, just trying to get some idea of the relevance of the Bible.
“It’s something that always fills my heart with I don’t know what – the glory of God, really, feeling like I could be doing something as a servant of the Lord, rather than trying to set myself up as someone to be worshipped.
“I’ve always thought I could have gone to the church – I think I’d have been happy doing that. I’m a great believer in community and in faith – it’s something that really attracts me.
“I think about it quite a lot – giving your life to service. It never really worked out, but it’s something I’d like to pursue – even now I feel like I could do it.”
In his new book, A Likely Lad, Doherty said he first became religious as a child when he got confirmed at the age of 12.
He explained: “My mum said you don’t do this unless you really believe, and I really did feel the presence of God.
“I took the vows, the oath – you ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit into your heart, and I remember really feeling it strongly.
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Showbiz newsletter here.
“Years later, when I wasn’t a committed Christian and didn’t feel the presence of Jesus in my heart very often, I still remembered a time when I did, and I’d feel genuinely safe in that knowledge.
“Evangelical is the wrong word, but that’s the closest word I can think of to describe feeling the presence of God or presence of the spirit. They used to put me right at the back of the choir though, because I was so horribly out of tune.”
Doherty also said that he believed he’d follow in the footsteps of his dad, also called Peter, and be a soldier.
He said: “I always thought I’d join the Army and go to war somewhere. That’s what I thought was in store for me.
“I’d become a soldier and die in a foreign land. It seemed somehow heroic. It was the flag and the idea of being English that was ever present for all us Army brats. I suppose it was just this longing to be English, to be in England, this longing for an identity.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk