The worst 'gay bashing' singer Sam Smith ever experienced was during a shopping trip with his father.

The Stay With Me hitmaker tells the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine he has been the victim of vile homophobes for years, but he really felt awful when his dad had to experience the bullying.

He explains he was out and about with his father in his small hometown of Great Chishill, Cambridgeshire, when someone driving by yelled "f**got" at him.

Smith says, "I was just embarrassed that my dad had to see that, because I could only imagine how you feel as a parent. You just want to kill them.

"I was always embarrassed for the people around me. It actually never deeply affected me."

The British singer also reveals he once encountered physical abuse as he walked around London wearing make-up.

Smith explains, "I got punched in my neck, just out of nowhere."