Pop star George Michael has pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and said he was "very ashamed".
The 43-year-old singer admitted the charge on the first day of his trial at Brent Magistrates' Court in north west London, claiming he was guilty due to "tiredness and prescribed drugs".
A further charge of being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drugs was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Michael, from north London, was arrested in Cricklewood on October 1 last year after motorists reported a car obstructing the road at traffic lights. Police found the singer slumped at the wheel of his Mercedes.
Michael, whose birth name is George Panayiotou, appeared confused in court and needed to consult his lawyer before confirming that he pleaded guilty.
The former Wham! star, dressed in blue jeans, a black jacket and a black shirt, took the unusual step of addressing District Judge Katherine Marshall directly in the court.
He said: "I did something very stupid and I am very ashamed since doing it. I'm not used to defending myself in a position where I am ashamed of something.
"If I had known the day after the charge was brought the legal option of accepting a punishment without taking responsibility for something I felt I was not guilty to, I could have saved everyone here a lot of time and trouble.
He added: "I really have been very distressed by this whole thing. I am perfectly aware that I did something very wrong and got into my car when I was unfit to drive."
The case was adjourned until May 30, to hear expert witnesses and to enable more tests on a blood sample taken at the time of the arrest.
