Ulrika Jonsson reveals secret alcohol battle and says she 'self-medicated' with drink

The TV presenter said she 'no longer recognised' herself

Ulrika Jonsson has revealed how she battled a secret alcohol problem and would pass out after lone binge drinking. The 57-year-old said she was a 'highly functioning binge-drinker' and would 'black out' after a night of drinking.

She said she turned to alcohol because she was 'angry with the world' and used drinking as a way to 'remember the good times'. But friends became concerned when they would speak with the TV presenter and not understand a word she was saying.

The former Gladiators host said she no longer 'feels shame' and is sharing her health battle as part of Sober October. She is now 121 days without alcohol.

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She told The Sun: "Drink quelled my anxiety. It transported me to another place where I felt at peace — where the problems of the world couldn’t reach me and, most importantly, where I felt numb. I drank to kill my feelings of anxiety and my fears of everything.

"I was a highly functioning binge-drinker. I never woke up dishevelled in a pool of sick. But the number of times I would black out and not recall the night before when I had been drinking alone, were increasing.

"Now, without drink I feel calm and clear. Not that it’s easy to give up. It’s not. But it’s brought me much needed peace." Ulrika said she finally decided to quit alcohol when she 'no longer recognised herself'.

On why her drinking got out of control, Ulrika said: "It stifled my anger. I was angry with the world for all sorts of reasons. I would drink to remember the good times and to forget the present bad times.

"It was the perfect escape from my woes. When I drank, I felt I became a better, nicer person, and more equipped to cope. The truth, of course, was quite the opposite.

"Drinking worsened my anxiety which meant I would 'self-medicate' with a drink. This would calm me down, temporarily, then it would return with a vengeance.

"And so, I was caught up in the most horrendous cycle of angst, the medicine for which only worsened my symptoms." Ulrika split from husband Brian Monet in 2019 and lives in ­Berkshire with their son Malcolm, 16.

She is also mum to Cameron, 29, Bo, 23, and Martha, 20. The TV host said she had a 'family history of alcoholics' but she only used to drink during special occasions.

Like for many, lockdown was a trigger and she said she would 'reward' herself with a drink for making it through the day. But she now says her anxiety has 'decreased' after quitting drinking and she has stayed sober.