Boy George has claimed that his ban from appearing on Channel 4′s Celebrity Big Brother turned out to be a “lucky escape”.

A judge ruled that Boy George could not take part in the reality TV show, as he was on probation at the time.

George told The Sun: “I think I probably had a lucky escape actually. The lack of intelligent conversation on the show was quite shocking.

“They were all just talking about who was more famous than the last person. I think it would have sent me over the edge. My mum said, ‘If you go on that show I’m leaving the country’.”

George also added that despite his fiery personality, he intends to reduce the amount of conflict in his life. He said: “I’ve had fallings out with everyone. When you’re young you’re in conflict with everything, but as you get older you chill out a bit and forget why you were even bothered in the first place.

“I think I’m finally at the point in my life where there are no feuds. I’m more friendly with people. When you’re less in conflict with yourself, you’re less likely to be in conflict with anything else. What you say about other people often says more about you.”