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Ulrika Jonsson has opened up about her journey to sobriety in a powerful open letter, revealing that she has now been alcohol-free for over a year and it has transformed her life in ways she never imagined.
The TV presenter, 57, made the shocking admission that ‘I can’t do this any more,’ was the life-saving message she sent to a friend on June 5 last year – a moment she now credits with rescuing her from the depths of addiction.
She wrote in The Sun: ‘It was a hangover day, much like any other, really. I sat on the sofa with my liver and brain pickled in equal measure, wrapped up in the blanket of shame, and something made me reach out for help.’
The star, described herself as a ‘binge drinker who drank to black out,’ and detailed how her addiction crept in slowly.
Although she didn’t drink daily, lose her job, children, or end up in prison or get arrested, the toll it took was significant.
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Ulrika Jonsson has opened up about her journey to sobriety in a powerful open letter, revealing that she has now been alcohol-free for over a year and it has transformed her life in ways she never imagined
The TV presenter, 57, made the shocking admission that ‘I can’t do this any more,’ was the life-saving message she sent to a friend on June 5 last year – a moment she now credits with rescuing her from the depths of addiction
Ulrika admitted to drinking for the wrong reasons – to numb her ‘crippling anxiety, to escape, to disappear and extinguish my self-loathing’.
She also spoke openly about the shame and secrecy that surrounded her behaviour.
From drinking neat rum in a cupboard at 11am to waking up with no memory of the night before, she revealed that her drinking quickly spiralled out of control, but remained hidden behind a polished exterior.
Despite having a ‘quite unremarkable’ drinking history on paper, Ulrika revealed the emotional damage was profound.
‘Alcoholics come in all shapes and sizes and many live among us in plain sight,’ she wrote, adding that her family history made her vulnerable.
‘I wasn’t cut out for life,’ she confessed, recalling how alcohol became her coping mechanism. ‘I wanted the full anaesthetic effect… I just wanted the feelings to stop.’
Since giving up alcohol, Ulrika says she has learned more about herself in the past year than in the previous five decades and added how she has had a ‘spiritual awakening’ and found an ‘inner peace’.
While family and friends have celebrated the milestone, with her daughter even offering to take her out for a meal, Ulrika admitted the lead-up to her one-year anniversary was filled with anxiety.
The star, described herself as a ‘binge drinker who drank to black out,’ and detailed how her addiction crept in slowly
Ulrika who was best known for hosting Gladiators in the 90s (pictured in 1992) said that although she didn’t drink daily, lose her job, children, or end up in prison or get arrested, the toll the alcohol took was significant
The star also admitted to drinking for the wrong reasons – to numb her ‘crippling anxiety, to escape, to disappear and extinguish my self-loathing’
She now lives one day at a time and accepts that recovery is a lifelong journey.
It comes after Ulrika marked one year sober, sharing an emotional Instagram post about the milestone on Thursday.
The TV star shared before and after photos, captioned ‘sober’ and ‘drunk’ as she told her 204k followers that ‘the journey goes on.’
‘Today I’m marking 1yr of sobriety,’ Ulrika wrote. ‘No fanfare, no medal, no trophy. The journey goes on.
‘A huge thanks to all those beautiful people who have supported me; understood me; scooped me up and handled me tenderly and without judgement; who nudged me in the right direction; who made me laugh and helped me shed the crippling shame.’
She paid tribute to her four children Cameron, 30, Bo, 25, Martha, 20, and Malcolm, 16, and apologised for the concern she has caused them over the years: ‘Thank you to my kids for their support; for having faith in me after I must have worried them so.’
‘For close friends for their patience and belief. My sobriety will continue to be my priority. Turns out it IS possible to teach old dogs new tricks.
Alongside the before and after snaps, Ulrika shared a childhood photo of herself as well a poignant reminder of ‘this day last year’.
In December Ulrika marked her six months sober milestone, as she credited her loved ones for helping her get this far.
In her post, the former Gladiators star shared a picture of herself presently as well as an older snap of herself ‘under the influence of alcohol’, which she admitted that she previously ‘couldn’t bear’ to look at.
It comes after Ulrika marked one year sober, sharing before and after photos captioned ‘sober’ and ‘drunk’ as she told her 204k followers that ‘the journey goes on’
‘Today I’m marking 1yr of sobriety,’ she wrote. ‘No fanfare, no medal, no trophy. The journey goes on’
‘A huge thanks to all those beautiful people who have supported me; understood me; scooped me up and handled me tenderly and without judgement, she captioned the post
She paid tribute to her four children Cameron, 30, Bo, 25, Martha, 20, and Malcolm, 16, and apologised for the concern she has caused them over the years
Alongside the before and after snaps, Ulrika shared a childhood photo of herself as well a poignant reminder of ‘this day last year’
In December Ulrika marked her six months sober milestone, sharing a snap of herself ‘under the influence of alcohol’, which she admitted that she previously ‘couldn’t bear’ to look at
Detailing her road to sobriety, Ulrika penned: ‘Today I am 6 months sober. On the 5th June 2024, I had the gift of desperation and reached out for help. I no longer recognised myself and I surrendered.
Referring to the image where she was ‘drunk’, Ulrika added: ‘Pic. 2: is of me in the midst of the madness. Another drunk moment. At first I couldn’t bear to look back at pictures of myself under the influence of alcohol. The cloak of shame was too heavy a burden.
‘But now I look at those images and feel pity and sympathy for that girl – she desperately needed to be scooped up; held tightly and helped. Not shamed or judged. She was quite, quite broken and had no idea there was another way.’
Concluding her post, she shared: ‘There is so much more to say – and I will say it in time. I’m still very much at the beginning of my journey but my life has changed in a beautiful way. It’s a spiritual thing. One day at a time….
