Sugababe's stage fright after machete attack on her boyfriend

The 23-year-old singer asked technicians to turn her microphone down during their New Year show with Take That at the O2 Arena, as she knew she was not up to performing at her best.

Pals say she is a shadow of her former self since Freddie was attacked with a machete at a pub on Christmas Eve.

Scroll down for more...

One friend told us: "Amelle is terrified this latest controversy could get her kicked out of the band. It is not the first time Freddie has hit the headlines for the wrong reason and she is worried it could jeopardise her place in the band.

"She didn't want the other girls to notice if her performance level dipped, so she asked the sound engineers at the O2 Arena to turn her microphone volume down during their gig. She wanted to make sure their other voices were louder than hers so it would mask any wobbles."

Amelle performed with the other Sugababes Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range at a special New Year's Eve concert.

They wowed the crowd with their hits including Push The Button and Hole In The Head before Take That took to the stage to close the show.

But little did fans know that they weren't quiet hearing the show as it was intended.

Scroll down for more...

Amelle has been devastated by the attack which left Freddie with huge gashes in his skull, right leg and hand, while his left arm and right thumb were nearly severed.

The former tree surgeon, 25, was attacked from behind at a pub in Aldershot, Hampshire, by an unknown man with a machete. Doctors say it will take him two years to recover from the horrific injuries.

Freddie said: "Amelle's been my rock throughout this ordeal - I love her more than ever."

He said of the attack: "Something told me to look over my shoulder. I saw a silver blade flash past my eyes and on to my elbow.

"I looked down and saw my arm had almost been cut in half - I could see where the bones and tendons had been severed.

"It was like a knife through butter. I feared it was going to behead me."

With such a horrible assault, it's no wonder Amelle has been so badly affected too. But their relationship has survived its fair share of ups and downs in the past, so we hope they can both help each other through this one.