Viewers watching I’m A Celebrity tonight were surprised when Ant McPartlin made an off-the-cuff joke about his and Jack Osbourne’s problems with addiction, which they have overcome
I’m A Celebrity viewers were left stunned tonight after Ant McPartlin made a light-hearted joke about past ‘drinking problems’ while chatting with campmate Jack Osbourne. The moment unfolded as presenters Ant and Dec caught up with Jack after he was booted from the show.
Dec asked the TV star: “Has that always been a thing for you?” prompting Ant to quip: “A drinking problem?” Jack laughed, replying: “There is that.” Ant then joked: “You and me both.”
Many viewers took to social media after picking up on the comment. One person recapped the exchange, posting: “‘Drinking problem?’ ‘Yeah there’s that’ ‘You and me both!’ ANT?!”
Another wrote: “Not Ant joking about his drinking problem.” A third viewer queried: “Did Ant make a drinking joke about a drinking problem there?”
Ant and Jack have been open about their struggles with substance and alcohol misuse, and both men have spent years in recovery. Ant McPartlin has discussed his history with alcohol dependency several times, particularly after he sought treatment in 2017 and again in 2018.
In a 2019 interview with The Sun, he admitted he had spent years using alcohol to mask unhappiness, explaining: “The longer you drink — and I’m talking about decades of drinking — you use it as escapism and a way to change how you feel. But alcohol is not the solution. You’ve got to deal with where your unhappiness is.”
His addiction deepened following a knee injury in 2015, leading to a dangerous combination of prescription painkillers and alcohol. He later described how he hit “rock bottom” after being rushed to hospital and subsequently entering rehab.
Ant has remained sober since completing his second stint in treatment and has spoken about rebuilding his life. Meanwhile, Jack Osbourne has been candid about his own former battle with addiction over the past two decades.
He first entered rehab at 17 after a period of heavy drinking and drug use during the height of his fame on The Osbournes. He later revealed he had struggled with pills, alcohol and weed before attending an adolescent treatment centre in California.
During this year’s I’m A Celeb, Jack told campmates he got sober as a teenager and has maintained that sobriety ever since. In an interview with Variety in 2021, he emphasised that it takes constant effort to stay clean.
He told the outlet: “It’s never over. There were times, when I had 10 years sober, and I was raising my hand as a newcomer at a different 12-step recovery group.”
The reality TV star added: “If you want it, there’s a way to achieve it. It’s kind of like shut your mouth and be willing to take direction. It’s that honesty and open-mindedness, and willingness, to do whatever it takes.”
*If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found at alcoholchange.org.uk
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