The star, who has been clean for over two years, is regretting not getting sober when he was younger.
In an interview with British newspaper the Daily Mail, George, who shot to fame in his band Culture Club, said: 'I wish I'd done all this 20 years ago. I wish I had gone running with Madonna when she asked me 20 years ago. I used to say: 'I only run when people chase me.' But I get it now.
'I wanted to give up all the self-medicating things I was doing. I remember saying, 'I won't be like this at 40.' But I was. In fact, it got worse.'
The 49-year-old accepts his behaviour in the past was 'self-destructive'.