Inside Lewis Capaldi’s relationship with ‘very understanding’ girlfriend Ellie McDowell who has been supporting him at gigs amid his Tourette’s battle – as singer cancels the rest of his tour to focus on health
- READ MORE: Lewis Capaldi announces break from live shows
Lewis’ girlfriend Ellie MacDowell, 23, was by his side when he toured Ireland in February and travelled all the way to California in April to watch him on stage.
Sources told MailOnline while the actress didn’t go to Glastonbury, the couple are very loved-up with the actress being a constant support amid his Tourette’s battle.
Lewis thanked his ‘amazing’ family and friends as he announced he would be taking a break after struggling through his Glastonbury set due to his Tourette’s.
The singer, 26, said those closest to him have supported him endlessly over the past year as he battled crippling anxiety and his tics worsened.
Lewis recently sung Ellie’s praises about how she was ‘very understanding’ about his life on the road.
Grateful: Lewis Capaldi thanked his ‘amazing’ family and friends as he announced he would be taking a break after struggling through his Glastonbury set due to his Tourette’s
Supportive: Lewis’ girlfriend Ellie MacDowell, 23, was by his side as he toured the world (they were last pictured together in Hollywood last month)
He told The Record while doing shows in Bristol late last month: ‘She’s good. She’s chilled. She’s very understanding of my situation given I’m away a lot. She’s cool.’
The couple, who are notoriously private and rarely post about their relationship, were last pictured at the start of May as they enjoyed a low-key outing in West Hollywood.
Just weeks after they were pictured in America, Lewis announced he was going to take a three week break until his Glastonbury gig for his mental and physical health so he could spend time with his family.
During his performance at the festival on Saturday, the crowd sang Someone You Love to an emotional Lewis who struggled to finish the set due to his Tourette’s.
In a statement on Tuesday, the singer announced he will not be touring ‘for the foreseeable future’ as it is ‘obvious’ he needs to spend ‘much more time getting my mental and physical health in order.’
The decision, which he branded ‘the most difficult of my life’, reveals the true toll the condition is taking on the hitmaker, who has been remarkably open about his mental health struggles in the past.
While Lewis didn’t reference Ellie specifically in his statement, he did thank his loved ones for being there for him.
‘I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can’t and I’d like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever,’ he wrote.
Sorry: Posting on Instagram on Tuesday, Lewis confirmed that he was cancelling the planned 24 live dates he had scheduled for the rest of the year
Similar background: Ellie MacDowell is an actress, who like Lewis, is from Scotland
Supportive: Lewis’ girlfriend Ellie, 23, was by his side as he toured Ireland in February
Sweet: The actress travelled all the way to California in April and proudly shared a video of him on stage on Instagram
Ellie studied Dance for Commercial Performance for three years and is now an accomplished professional dancer who will star in ITV drama Archie.
She is trained in Ballet, Commercial Dance, Contemporary Dance, Hip Hop Dance, Jazz Dancing, Latin American, Lyrical Dance, Modern Dance, Pas de Deux and Tap.
Lewis, who is known for penning heartbreaking hits such as Someone You Love and Wish You The Best, hinted at his mental health struggles last month as he told The Record: ‘When one thing is going well something else is going to s***’.
Of seeing how fans support him at his gigs by singing when they see him struggling, he said: ‘When you allow yourself to be vulnerable you allow others to be vulnerable with you, I don’t feel as embarrassed about my twitching and I feel a bit more comfortable twitching on stage even if it is painful.’
The Scotsman had already taken three weeks off before his gig on the Pyramid Stage at the weekend, but admitted on Tuesday it was not enough and that he was ‘still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s.’
The singer-songwriter became emotional as he started losing his voice during the performance, prompting him to apologise to the crowds – who then helped him finish his songs in heartwarming footage that quickly went viral.
READ MORE: Who is Lewis Capaldi’s actress girlfriend Ellie MacDowall?
But posting on Instagram on Tuesday, Lewis confirmed that he was cancelling the planned 24 live dates he had scheduled for the rest of the year.
He wrote: ‘Hello everyone. First of all thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards. It really does mean the world,’ he began.
‘The fact that this probably won’t come as a surprise doesn’t make it any easier to write, but I’m very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future.
‘I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped 3 weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.’
‘I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can’t and I’d like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who’ve been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more during this past year when I’ve needed it more than ever.’
‘I’m so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve. Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I’ll be back as soon as I possible can. All my love always, Lewis’.
Lewis had 24 remaining dates scheduled for his Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent tour, ending in Belfast at Boucher Road Playing Fields on September 3.
WHAT IS TOURETTE’S SYNDROME?
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics.
It usually starts during childhood and continues into adulthood. Tics can be either be vocal or physical.
In many cases Tourette’s syndrome runs in families and it’s often associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Tourette’s syndrome is named after the French doctor, Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the syndrome and its symptoms in the 19th century.
There’s no cure for Tourette’s syndrome, but treatment can help to control the symptoms.
Source: NHS Choices
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