Boy George has compared Culture Club’s cycle of breaking up and reforming to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s on-off relationship.

The hit Eighties group announced a UK tour this week and are working on their first album in almost two decades.

Frontman Boy George, who formed the fourpiece in 1981, revealed he and guitarist Roy Hay continue to “push each other’s buttons”.

He said they had been in the studio this week with Hay winding him up by asking him to sing more soulfully like Mick Hucknall.

Boy George told the One Show: “I do love Mick Hucknall but … we know how to wind each other up, we really do.”

“We broke up so many times, we’re like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

“We definitely know how to push each other’s buttons,” he said, adding: “You have to let people be who they are. People don’t change, you have to change the way you react to them. That’s true in every relationship.”

He said the upcoming album was “definitely the best thing we’ve ever done” but that he was in training to ensure he was in good shape for the tour.

“It’s a lot of work, we’re doing America and the UK and the UK tour will be extended hopefully.

“At 19 you can stay up all night … I can’t get away with that, I’m just not made of all that stuff anymore and I have to sleep.”

After originally breaking up in 1986 and later reforming, the band have only performed a handful of gigs in recent years.

On Wednesday the group announced a raft of arena shows for November.