Avril Lavigne: 'Leaving Los Angeles prevented fall from grace'

Pop rocker Avril Lavigne credits touring and moving out of Los Angeles with preventing her from suffering a public breakdown.

The Sk8er Boi hitmaker has managed to avoid going off the rails like many of her celebrity peers, despite having been in the spotlight for more than a decade.

And the singer is adamant working hard on the road and leaving L.A. stopped her from becoming tempted by the trappings of fame.

She tells Britain's The Sun, "I've worked really hard since I got my record deal - it has been non-stop... I've toured every record. Touring is very gruelling and it takes up about one to two years of your life.

"I think you have to be careful because when you're 'the star', it's all you, you, you. And I've always tried to separate when I go onstage and be me the performer. That's one head space, then when I come off, that's another head space.

"That's why I stopped living in L.A., because I lived there for 10 years, and when I went home after a tour was over and I did things like going grocery shopping or whatever, I didn't ever leave that head space. I felt like that wasn't going to be any good for me if I kept it like that any longer. Now I've moved and I get to actually be home and all of that shuts off."