A video showing Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi suffering from tics in the middle of his January 18, 2023, concert in Manchester has gone viral.
Capaldi kicked off 2023 with his UK tour for his new album, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent. The incident occurred while he was singing Someone You Loved, a heartbreaking poem about a past lover.
The viral clip shows the singer getting emotional and struggling to sing but continuing to perform to a cheering crowd. However, he soon starts getting tics that prevent him from singing entirely, and he walks away from the microphone. In a moving response, the audience then steps up and starts singing in his place to show their support.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS) in March 2022. He disclosed this on September 2022 in an Instagram Live from his profile, @lewiscapaldi, stating that the diagnosis made sense as he was always jittery and had been experiencing twitches.
As the video spread, netizens commented on the touching moment, sending their love and support to the Forget Me Singer. One user wrote:
"Much respect to Lewis going out there knowing the triggers": Twitterati extend support to Lewis Capaldi
Internet users were left amazed by Lewis Capaldi and expressed their pride at how he carried himself during and after the incident. The called him brave and an inspiration. Netizens stated he was the most down-to-earth singer, praising his personality and confidence.
Many spoke about their experiences with the syndrome and thanked the singer for opening up about the condition on a public platform. One user, @RachelHi1l, remarked that Capaldi was proof that Tourettes would not prevent anyone from achieving their dreams. She stated:
Here are some other comments supporting Capaldi as seen on Twitter:
What is Tourette Syndrome? More on Lewis Capaldi's diagnosis reveal
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), TS or simply Tourettes, is a condition of the nervous system that causes people to have tics.
Tics sudden, uncontrollable, and repetitive twitching movements or sounds. These are brought on by any number of triggers, with stress and anxiety being the most common.
Last year, Capaldi opened up about having Tourettes after fans mistakenly criticized him for using cocaine before his performances. He addressed the allegations while talking to his fans, stating:
"Do you think before performing (in front of) 20,000 people, as an anxious person, I'm going to take a big line of cocaine? Never going to happen."
Speaking about his triggers, Lewis Capaldi stated:
"The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it, when I’m stressed I get it, when I’m happy I get it. It happens all the time."
In his Instagram live, the Scottish singer explained that he had bad (painful) days, adding that the condition was "quite uncomfortable" but "looked worse than it was." Capaldi explained that he was a hypochondriac and was worried that he was dying or had a "degenerative disease" when the twitches first set in. The singer added that the TS diagnosis came as a relief.
Lewis Capaldi's next concert for his UK tour is scheduled for Newcastle on January 21, 2023.