Celebrity Mound

Fergie successfully fought a battle against a dependency on illicit substance crystal methamphetamine – known as crystal meth – and thinks the days of her excesses had both good and bad points.

She said: “I think that sometimes it leads to brilliance and other times it leads to disaster. That’s my answer.”

Fergie’s bandmate Taboo has also previously battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol and admits his lifestyle in the band made it difficult to give up his deadly habits.

He said: “The excess of partying for me was out of control and it just let me to a place where I crashed really hard. It wasn’t just about me, I was damaging my family and almost my career.

“The thing is, when you do have that addictive personality and you have success and fame, it’s there every night. And you partake. And you get caught up, ‘Oh, I’ll stop tomorrow.’ I’d look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘I’m going to stop,’ and next day go to the drug dealer. But I bounced back.”

Fergie felt “humbled” to be named Woman of the Year by Billboard magazine.

The Black Eyed Peas singer was thrilled to be recognized for her musical achievements at New York’s Pierre Hotel yesterday, particularly as so many other females have achieved chart success in the last 12 months.

She said: “Congratulations to all the women of the year. I’m so humbled to be in a category with so many strong females in the business. For what used to be just a boys’ club, us b***hes are coming up.”

Paying tribute; the ‘My Humps’ hitmaker’s bandmates, Taboo and Apl.de.ap, praised their “sister” for the dimension she brings to the group.

Taboo said: “In 2002 we met Fergie at a studio. We were looking for someone to sing on a song called ‘Shut Up.’ When she came on, she blew us away. She was a professional, so on point and we wanted to put her on more songs. To make a long story short, thank God we put her on a lot more songs. We can attribute so many things to our success, and Fergie’s been a part of that. I’m so grateful to have her as a sister.”

Apl.de.ap added: “Not only is she a strong, talented woman with a beautiful voice, I can also talk to her about women and get girl advice from her. Congratulations Fergie – you’re my sis and my best friend. Thank you for being in my life.”
‘Glee’ star Lea Michelle was the magazine’s winner of the first Triple Threat award for her success in acting, dancing and singing, and she thanked the show for allowing her the chance to showcase her talents.

She said: I was always told I wouldn’t make it as a recording artist because I had a musical theatre voice and I wouldn’t be able to branch out into other fields and Thankfully ‘Glee’ came along.”

Also honoured at the lunch was Jazmine Sullivan, the publication’s 2010 Rising Star, who performed at the event.

The 35-year-old singer – who has achieved three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles in her career – has allegedly been rowing with bandmate will.i.am and has been contemplating her future within the band.

An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “There is a bit of tension there. Fergie thinks will.i.am is getting a little big for his boots – especially after all the attention he has been getting through his friendship with Cheryl Cole.”

Fergie is hoping will.i.am – who has grown increasingly close to Cheryl since her split from her soccer player husband Ashley Cole – will “snap out of it” if she threatens to leave the ‘I Gotta Feeling’ chart-toppers.

The insider added: “Fergie is hoping that by saying she wants to leave he’ll snap out of it. But at the BET Awards she put on a big smile and just got on with it.

“At the end of the day, they know their fans are counting on them to hold it together.”

The rumours come after the pair allegedly had a fall-out last month when will.i.am refused to perform at an after-party for the band’s BlackBerry gig in London that the whole group had been booked for.

He recently took to his twitter page to address mounting rumors Fergie was considering going it alone.

He tweeted: “Don’t believe gossip about Fergie leaving the group (we are never breaking up) its all lies!!!”