Amy Winehouse’s family admit they were powerless to stop her drugs and alcohol addiction

Amy Winehouse’s loved ones have described her as ‘the governor’ and ‘a feral cat’ as they revealed they were powerless to stop her drugs and alcohol addiction. 

The singer’s family and friends speak about their struggles to help Amy before her death in 2011 in an upcoming BBC Two documentary Reclaiming Amy. 

In scenes from the programme, Amy’s father Mitch explained, despite them all staging several interventions to help her, ‘you couldn’t tell her what to do’.

Helpless: Amy Winehouse’s loved ones have described her as ‘the governor’ and ‘a feral cat’ as they revealed they were powerless to stop her drugs and alcohol addiction

To mark the ten year anniversary of Amy’s death, her closest family and friends, including mother Janis Winehouse-Collins and father Mitch, are set to reveal the truth about the British music icon. 

Amy died at her Camden home on July 23 2011 aged just 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning.  

During the special programme, Mitch, reported by The Mirror, said: ‘You couldn’t tell her to do or not do something. If she was going to do it, she’d do it. Nobody controlled Amy. She was the governor.’

Amy’s friend and stylist Naomi Parry echoed Mitch’s sentiments: ‘She looked like you could put her over your shoulder and take her somewhere but it would be like picking up a feral cat. It’s going to scratch your eyes out.’

Powerless: In the programme, Amy's father Mitch explained, despite them all staging several interventions to help her, 'you couldn't tell her what to do'.  Pictured: Amy at Glastonbury in 2007

Powerless: In the programme, Amy’s father Mitch explained, despite them all staging several interventions to help her, ‘you couldn’t tell her what to do’.  Pictured: Amy at Glastonbury in 2007

In the documentary tribute to the late singer, Amy’s mother also explained she was not able to physically deal with her daughter’s addictions because she was suffering with multiple sclerosis. 

It comes after Amy’s mother shared the heartbreaking final words to her daughter while her step-dad choked back tears over her passing as they discussed the late singer on Thursday’s Lorraine. 

Janis and her husband Richard Collins spoke with Lorraine Kelly in the studio about the upcoming documentary. 

Speaking with Lorraine in an exclusive interview, the grieving pair recalled their memories of Amy and told how they had tried to help her through her addictions, but insisted that ‘Amy did what Amy wanted to do’.

During the chat, Janis, 66, sadly remembered the last words she said to her daughter before her tragic death.

Sad: Amy Winehouse's mother shared the heartbreaking final words to her daughter while her step-dad choked back tears over her passing as they discussed the late singer on Thursday's Lorraine

Sad: Amy Winehouse’s mother shared the heartbreaking final words to her daughter while her step-dad choked back tears over her passing as they discussed the late singer on Thursday’s Lorraine

Gone too soon: Amy died at her Camden home on July 23 2011 aged just 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning (Amy pictured in 2007)

Gone too soon: Amy died at her Camden home on July 23 2011 aged just 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning (Amy pictured in 2007)

She said: ‘I remember exactly. I said to her, ‘Amy I love you’and she said, ‘I love you too mummy.’

‘But that’s how we were and I could express my love to her, always. She was very protective of me.’

Meanwhile, things took a very emotional turn as Richard recounted the agonising moment he was forced to tell his wife that her daughter had died.

He explained: ‘It was the worst day of my life. I got the phone call to say that Amy had gone. It was actually her cousin, Martin that phoned.

Grief: Janis Winehouse-Collins and her husband Richard Collins spoke with Lorraine Kelly in the studio about the upcoming BBC2 documentary Reclaiming Amy ahead of the 10th anniversary of her death

Grief: Janis Winehouse-Collins and her husband Richard Collins spoke with Lorraine Kelly in the studio about the upcoming BBC2 documentary Reclaiming Amy ahead of the 10th anniversary of her death

‘I said, ‘Don’t be silly, we were with her yesterday.’ And he said, ‘No, I’m being absolutely serious.’

‘And then I had to tell Janis. I said, ‘Janis, I don’t know what to say, she’s gone.’ She looked at me and she thought I was talking about my mum, because my mum died a month after Amy – my mum was seriously ill.’

Choking back tears at the memory, he went on: ‘She [Janis] said, ‘It’s just your mum’ and I said, ‘No, no. Your baby, she’s really gone.’ And Jan just stood there.’

Janis then went on to tell of her shock at the heart-breaking news, telling Lorraine: ‘It took time for me, disbelief.’

Meanwhile, Janis and Richard opened up about trying to help Amy battle her demons, but there was only so much they could do as Janis suffers with Multiple sclerosis (MS).

Memories: Speaking with Lorraine in an exclusive interview, the grieving pair recalled their memories of Amy and told how they had tried to help her through her addictions, but insisted that 'Amy did what Amy wanted to do'

Memories: Speaking with Lorraine in an exclusive interview, the grieving pair recalled their memories of Amy and told how they had tried to help her through her addictions, but insisted that ‘Amy did what Amy wanted to do’

The last moment: Recalling the last words she said to Amy, Janis said: 'I remember exactly. I said to her, "Amy I love you’"and she said, "I love you too mummy"

The last moment: Recalling the last words she said to Amy, Janis said: ‘I remember exactly. I said to her, ‘Amy I love you’and she said, ‘I love you too mummy’

So close: 'That’s how we were and I could express my love to her, always. She was very protective of me' (Amy and Janis pictured at her Grammy performance in 2008)

So close: ‘That’s how we were and I could express my love to her, always. She was very protective of me’ (Amy and Janis pictured at her Grammy performance in 2008) 

‘It was the worst day of my life’: Meanwhile, things took a very emotional turn as Richard recounted the agonising moment he was forced to tell his wife that her daughter had died

Janis explained: ‘I was limited by what I could do. I live with it. I’m very good, I’ve got it… and? I’m very nonplussed about it.’

Richard then shared: ‘She [Amy] did try, it’s a misrepresentation. The family bent over backwards, but what people seem to forget is that she was a married woman, she was 27, she was living independently, she was wealthy. 

‘People tried to help her, from her management to Mitch to Janis, the family.’

He added: ‘Amy did what Amy wanted to do and that was the bottom line of it. People think she was a very weak character, but she wasn’t. Far from it. She was very, very strong.’

Going on to discussed the foundation set up in the Rehab singer’s memory, Richard said: ‘That’s very, very important to the family. Mitch, his wife Jane – who’s our CEO – work so hard. Unfortunately, because of Janis’ condition we can’t be as involved in it as we’d like…

Help: Meanwhile, Janis and Richard opened up about trying to help Amy battle her demons, but there was only so much they could do as Janis suffers with Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Help: Meanwhile, Janis and Richard opened up about trying to help Amy battle her demons, but there was only so much they could do as Janis suffers with Multiple sclerosis (MS)

We tried: Richard then shared: 'She [Amy] did try, it's a misrepresentation. The family bent over backwards, but what people seem to forget is that she was a married woman, she was 27, she was living independently, she was wealthy'

We tried: Richard then shared: ‘She [Amy] did try, it’s a misrepresentation. The family bent over backwards, but what people seem to forget is that she was a married woman, she was 27, she was living independently, she was wealthy’

‘I think we’ve reached out on our drug resilience programme to over 200,000 children around the country with reformed addicts going into schools rather than the policeman or the local teacher. [They say] ‘This is what happened to me.’ The intervention, it’s wonderful.’

While Janis added: ‘It’s done so much good for people. And that’s what it’s about.’

Elsewhere, unseen snaps of Amy as a child and with her mother Janis have been revealed ahead of the upcoming documentary Reclaiming Amy about her life.

The late singer looked sweet in the family picture as she sat in a garden chair with huge sunglasses on while in another polaroid image a fresh-face Amy cuddled up to her mum as they both posed for the camera.

Throwback: Unseen snaps of Amy as a child and with her mother Janis have been revealed ahead of the upcoming documentary Reclaiming Amy about her life

Throwback: Unseen snaps of Amy as a child and with her mother Janis have been revealed ahead of the upcoming documentary Reclaiming Amy about her life

Family: In another polaroid image a fresh-face Amy cuddled up to her mum, now 66, as they both posed for the camera.

Family: In another polaroid image a fresh-face Amy cuddled up to her mum, now 66, as they both posed for the camera.

The new intimate snaps also feature several when she was just a teenager, as she poses at parties and on family holidays. 

In the film, the star’s mother Janis will tell the story of one of the UK’s greatest musical icons through new parts of her life that the public have never heard about.

Janis said: ‘I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy.’

She says in the documentary: ‘You think you know my daughter. The drugs, the drink, the addiction, the destructive relationships. But there was so much more.’

Beauty: The new intimate snaps also feature several when she was just a teenager, as she poses at parties and on family holidays

Beauty: The new intimate snaps also feature several when she was just a teenager, as she poses at parties and on family holidays

The past: In the film, the star's mother Janis will tell the story of one of the UK's greatest musical icons through new parts of her life that the public have never heard about (pictured together on holiday)

The past: In the film, the star’s mother Janis will tell the story of one of the UK’s greatest musical icons through new parts of her life that the public have never heard about (pictured together on holiday)

Amy’s parents Janis and Mitch set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation following her death.

They created the charity in honour of the late singer on what would have been her 28th birthday on the 14 September 2011.

Amy soared to fame upon the release of Frank in 2003, as she gained both critical and commercial success with the debut as her jazz-inspired vocals won fans all over before her second album Back To Black’s introduction three years later.

In a heartbreaking turn of fate, the London-born icon’s dazzling career was plighted by her demons after she fell into the clutches of drink and drug addiction.  

Tragic: In a heartbreaking turn of fate, the London-born icon's dazzling career was plighted by her demons after she fell into the clutches of drink and drug addiction (pictured in 2007)

Tragic: In a heartbreaking turn of fate, the London-born icon’s dazzling career was plighted by her demons after she fell into the clutches of drink and drug addiction (pictured in 2007) 

As she ascended higher on the fame ladder she discovered her demons – in drink, drugs and also eating disorders, which her brother Alex insists contributed to her death. 

In 2011, an inquest gave a verdict of misadventure after finding that she had 416mg of alcohol per decilitre in her blood. A second inquest in 2013  confirmed that she died of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Reclaiming Amy airs on BBC Two at 9pm on Friday 23rd July.

For confidential help and support call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org

Radiant: In July 2011, Amy passed away following a vodka binge alone in her bedroom, where she was found by her security guard (pictured as a teenager)

Radiant: In July 2011, Amy passed away following a vodka binge alone in her bedroom, where she was found by her security guard (pictured as a teenager) 

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