United Kingdom, Sept. 18 -- Lulu isn't "ashamed" of being an alcoholic.

The 77-year-old pop veteran recently opened up about her struggle with booze for the first time revealing she's been clean since checking into a rehab clinic in 2013 and she's now confessed she's glad she went public with her battle in her memoir If Only You Knew because the process was a healing experience for her.

She told the i newspaper: "It [writing the book] was like going to hell and back. It was intense. But it was cathartic ...

"Now I've come out and been vocal about being an alcoholic, I'm not proud of it, but I'm not ashamed. Because I was ashamed."

Lulu went on to reveal she's also been helped by her faith, adding: "I've always had tremendous faith. I ...