Sting ‘lucky’ to have found fame later than child stars like Britney Spears

Pop star Sting has said he felt “lucky” to have found fame later in life than former child stars like Britney Spears.

The Grammy-winning artist had worked as a teacher before he was thrust to international stardom as front man of the band The Police.

Sting, 72, was speaking in his native North Tyneside on Thursday, where he was honoured with the freedom of the borough.

Of his worldwide fame, he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I was lucky that that didn’t happen to me at the age of 17, I was 10 years older than that, so I had a job, I voted, I paid tax.

“So I had a real life and then I got this crazy life, so I had something to judge it by.

“If you leave school, like Britney Spears did, then immediately you’re shot into international stardom, you don’t have any ground.

“I was lucky.”