Seal 'grateful' to abusive father

Seal has revealed that he was frequently beaten by his father during his childhood.

The singer - who has three children with model wife Heidi Klum - admitted that his dad was stuck in a cycle of violence stretching back several generations.

He said: "My dad was a troubled soul, but I understand why he was like that. He couldn't break out of a vicious cycle: his father, my grandad, was also a nasty piece of work. And maybe dad hated the fact that I was a newer, younger, version of him."

However, the 44-year-old, who released new single 'Amazing' yesterday, insisted that he is grateful to his dad for teaching him how to be a parent, saying: "I still describe my father as a great man, because he gave me the gift of seeing everything I shouldn't do as a father."