Mitch Winehouse has put on two stone during lockdown.

The father of the late singer Amy Winehouse admits that he has put on the pounds amid the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic and feels that it is natural people turn to food and substances such as alcohol and drugs during difficult times.

He told ITV News: ''People turn to substances and food to allay some of their misery. That's just a fact of life.''

And Mitch also hit out at the idea that university students could be forced to stay away from home for Christmas amid the pandemic, as he believes it will be vital for their mental health.

The 69 year old said: ''University students being allowed home for Christmas will help because a lot of young people struggle with loneliness and isolation and need to be with their families as much as possible.''

Mitch recently revealed that a film about Amy could be released next year, and suggested the project will offer a more truthful portrayal of the 'Rehab' singer than the 2015 Asif Kapadia documentary 'Amy', which he claimed presented him and his daughter in a ''misleading'' light.

He explained: ''We've got a lovely movie, a lovely Broadway show coming, and that's how we'll get our own back, by portraying Amy the way she was.

''The movie is gonna be in a year or two. We've gone beyond talks, we're at script stage. The film is going to be a biopic.''

Mitch also suggested that he would be involved in the decision to cast the actress who will play his daughter on screen.

He said: ''The casting will be - and I get to choose, with recommendations from the producer - a star-maker. We're gonna get an unknown actress, ideally a Jewish girl from North or East London who looks a bit like Amy and talks like Amy.''