Entertainment
Tom Kerridge reveals he drank enough alcohol to last a lifetime by age 40 – but he has no regrets-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro
The famous foodie revealed why he lives life on the dry.
Tom Kerridge is now nine years sober after struggles with drinking excessively (Picture: PR Pic)
Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge has admitted he had consumed enough alcohol to match that of a 75-year-old man by the time he was 39.
The star cook opened up about his struggles with drinking and said he was so concerned by the amount he had already consumed by his 40th birthday, he decided to start tackling the problem head-on.
Nine years of sobriety later, he shared how going cold turkey was the only way the personality could approach the issue as he would never have been able to trust himself to stop at just one glass.
Owning pubs and financially benefiting from alcoholic drinks meant Tom, who owns the Hand and Flowers pub in Marlow, could never rid his life completely of the vice but instead chose to learn how to manage his relationship with it – or lack thereof.
Chatting on the Stompcast podcast with Alex George, the 49-year-old revealed: ‘It was massively a part of my life, and still is – I own pubs, I sell it and I’m passionate about people who make it.
‘Except it’s not something that I know I can be a part of.
The chef revealed he drank 75 years’ worth of alcohol by the time he was 40 (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
‘The way I view it is that if you live to 75 years old, you’ve got that amount of booze that you can drink until you’re 75 – I did it all by the age of 40.
‘Approaching my 40th birthday I thought ‘I’ve got to make a change here because if I don’t I won’t make 50.
‘I know there’s no such thing as a glass of wine or a beer – there never was, it was always about this release of chaos and mayhem.’
When asked about how alcohol entered his life in the first place, MasterChef and Great British Menu star Tom told the host he started drinking to release the chaos that came with building his business and finding fame: ‘Without it, we wouldn’t be here so I don’t regret it.
The personality has appeared on numerous shows including MasterChef and Great British Menu (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Tom opened up about his struggles on Alex George’s podcast (Picture: Ian Lawrence X/Getty Images)
Using his 40th birthday as an excuse to kick-start his new dry life, he shared the difficulties he faced in the beginning: ‘When you take it out there’s a huge hole but you also fear that it’s become your personality’.
Not too shy to admit he misses the odd beer with his friends at the football, the chef ultimately knew he needed to cut it out completely if he wanted to see his 50th birthday.
‘Everything I do is quite excessive,’ he said.
Need help?
The NHS recommends Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline. If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, there is a free helpline you can call in complete confidence. Call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
Or you can use Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a free self-help group with a 12-step programme.
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