Mariah Carey is amazed by her love for swimming because she almost drowned when she was six.

The pop superstar took to the pool to help shed weight after her twins were born last year (11) and is now swimming and taking 45-minute water aerobics classes four or five times a week when deep down she should be terrified.

The Hero singer tells Shape magazine, "Swimming is my favourite form of exercise, which is surprising since I almost drowned in the ocean when I was six.

"It was scary but it didn't traumatise me or deter me from going in again. My mother just put me back in the water and told me it would be fine. And it was."