Chico Guilty of Drink Driving After Whisky Binge

star Chico has been convicted of drink-driving after going on a six-hour drinking binge, a court heard on Thursday.

The singer, 55, who competed on the ITV show in 2005, told Willesden Magistrates' Court that he drank whisky for six hours after losing a third friend to .

Chico was convicted of driving a Vauxhall Astra with 40 microgrammes of in 100 millilitres of breath in Southgate on December 13. The legal limit is 35mg.

Arriving for his trial, the star, whose real name is Yousseph Slimani, sported a maroon silk shirt and a cowboy hat, which he placed on the table upon heading into court.

He was since banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a £600 fine, £240 surcharge and £620 in costs by District Judge Mark Jabbitt.

Chico has also been offered a drink drivers' rehabilitation scheme that if completed will reduce his qualification by a quarter. 

The court also heard that Chico is in heavy debt, and is now facing county court proceedings. Earlier this year the star shared how he's been forced to claw his way back from financial ruin after falling victim to an investment con in Dubai.

While giving evidence, Chico presented a book he was writing at the time of the alleged offence, called The Secret 19. Cancer Questions Worth Asking.

He shared that he had drunk whisky between 1am and 7am and at 5:30pm consumed a cold and flu medicine. He was pulled over at about 6.30pm that evening.

Chico told the court: 'It was after a third bereavement of one of my dearest friends, which was just devastating.

'All young people in their 50s with terminal cancers that have passed on – non-smokers, non-drinkers, several cancers – and basically are not here, sadly.

'On that fateful day, I'm teetotal, I don't drink, and it felt like I was going out of my mind, couldn't take it, so I drank.'

Chico said he has not drunk any alcohol since.

The judge told him: 'It is inevitable that I will find the case proven,' and said that while he is 'generally sympathetic' to his bereavements, he is not to excessive drinking or taking medication without checking the effect it has on driving.

Chico claimed he was taking the cold and flu medicine Nyquil for 'a flu which you may call long Covid' that 'kept coming and going'.

He said he didn't tell police when asked if he had consumed other drugs or medicines, and said this was 'because when I got arrested, and they were taking me to the police station, my mind was literally going at 600,000mph.'

Chico added: 'And when I got to the police station all I could think of was the implications of me being arrested for something that goes completely against what I am and what I do,' and described that his fears have 'sadly all come true.'

Chico's solicitors told a toxicologist that he consumed 810ml of Famous Grouse whisky and 30ml of an unspecified Nyquil product that contained alcohol, the court heard.

Toxicologist, Sarah Morley, calculated that the Nyquil would have contributed to 2mg per 100ml of alcohol on his breath.

Morley also told the court: 'I can't verify if the information provided to me has been accurate or not.'

Just weeks earlier, Chico laid bare the extent of his money struggles after he fell victim to an investment con.

The Bridgend born former singer became a household name after reaching the quarter-final stage of 's talent show in 2005, scoring a number one hit with debut single It's Chico Time the following year. 

But time appeared to be called on Chico's short-lived music career when the hits dried up and his last single, a charity collaboration with the Rainbow Child Foundation, failed to chart following its release in 2010. 

Famed for his athletic physique, Chico subsequently ploughed his money into a Middle Eastern investment scheme, centred on his passion for health and fitness - only to be left penniless. 

He told The Sun: 'It was a natural transition because I’ve been in the health and fitness industry all my life really at one time or another. As I was younger, I was into martial arts and I wanted to do natural bodybuilding. And then after that, it was always about looking after your health.' 

'It’s about getting the right knowledge as to how your body works, how your mind works, and how you can become the best version of yourself.

'So it started actually with my first creation at the end of 2014. And that was at a time where we invested money, lots of friends of ours, in Dubai.

'And unfortunately we got conned and we lost everything. And then it was a case of like, "Okay, you’ve obviously got a bigger plan for me type of thing". I always thought, all right, that wasn’t meant to be.' 

Slimani eventually returned to the health industry with BlockFit, a combination of dance moves, combat, yoga and meditation - carried out to original music. 

The exercise method became a hit, with BlockFit incorporated into all 69 of former Dragon's Den businessman Duncan Bannatyne's gyms until the coronavirus pandemic forced most businesses to close. 

The impact of the global pandemic would not only take a financial toll, but a personal one, as Slimani lost more than one friend under the age of 50 to suicide as the world ground to a halt. 

The former X Factor star has since channeled his energies into helping people with issues including depression and anxiety with their breathwork. 

After offering his services online for free, Slimani has turned the endeavour into a successful business by hosting retreats all over the world. 

'It was really amazing to see people come as one person laden with troubles, worries, anxieties, all sorts of stuff, and then walking away as a totally different person with tools that they could use for their everyday,' said Slimani, whose breathwork retreats have taken him to Bali, Thailand, Cyprus, Croatia and Morocco.