Actress Charlotte Church blames paparazzi for her smoking habit, arguing she gets really nervous when they stalk her.

Church, 19, declared she tried to quit smoking for many times, but every time a paparazzi comes around, she's lighting up a cigarette.

She said: "I've been trying to give up smoking so I was quite irritable as you can imagine. And they were following us around and I just wanted to throw something at them.

"I've not be using the nicotine patches, just willpower. But I have been told to chew on a straw every time I want a cigarette."

Charlotte Church's career began at the age of 12 with her breakthrough album, "Voice of an Angel", where she showcased her unique soprano voice in a collection of arias, sacred songs, and traditional pieces that sold millions of copies worldwide and made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 selling album to date.

She made a cameo appearance on the US CBS series "Touched by an Angel". She later appeared on numerous PBS specials and television commercials, most notably in the acclaimed Just Wave Hello campaign for the Ford Motor Company.