Tulisa has been open about her difficult relationship with her mother Anne, who dealt with mental health struggles during the singer’s childhood.
Her mother, who is originaly from Ireland, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder 17 years ago.
The N-Dubz singer and X Factor judge explained how her turbulent childhood led to some challenging times, but her dream of becoming a performer helped guide her.
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Tulisa was born to an Irish mother, named Anne Byrne, who was born in Churchtown, County Dublin, and a Greek Cypriot father, Plato Contostavlos, who previously worked as a keyboardist with Mungo Jerry.
Her mum also comes from a musical background and appeared alongside her three sisters in the 1980s big band and swing band, Jeep.
Tulisa and her mum lived in a one-bedroom flat on a council estate in north London. In her 2012 autobiography called Honest, she said: “Mum was obsessive about locking our front door, and it was always locked from the inside with the keys still hanging in the door.
“One morning I noticed that although the key was in the lock, it hadn't been turned, and the door was actually unlocked.
“Knowing that my mum would freak out and feel vulnerable if she spotted it, I turned the key and locked it myself.
“Within seconds my mum, hearing the jangle of the keys, came tearing out into the hall, screaming at me hysterically.
“I guess she thought I was trying to open the door and panicked, but went completely off the deep end, accusing me of wanting to make her ill, or even kill her, and it went on and on.
“Incidents like this were a regular occurrence in our house, along with temper tantrums and mood swings.”
Tulisa spoke about her mother’s diagnosis in the BBC documentary Tulisa: My Mum and Me in 2010. She delved into schizoaffective disorder, which involves symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder - either bipolar disorder or depression.
She stated that the pressures of taking care of her mother led her to join a gang and get involved in drinking and drugs.
The Young singer shared: “One of the worst things about dealing with my mum was how helpless and alone I felt at such a vulnerable age.
“The doctors didn't seem to be able to stabilise my mother's moods and I felt myself being dragged further and further down by the environment I was forced to live in.”
She added: “Music and my dream of becoming a success was all that kept me going through those very dark times.”
She began spending more time at her aunt’s home after her father Plato left the home.
“My dad left home and it triggered one of her episodes,” she said. “One minute she'd look all mournful as if someone had died, the next she'd be angry and aggressive, smashing cupboards and shouting.
“Inevitably, she went into hospital again and I stayed with my mum's older sister, Louise. She had children of her own and it was felt she was more able to look after a young girl.
“I used to dread my mum getting better and coming home because it would mean I'd have to leave my aunt's house where I felt safe and happy and normal.”
The mother and daughter have maintained a relationship throughout their struggles, with the I'm a Celebrity star pictured with her mum over the years.
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