Former EastEnders actor John Partridge managed to overcome a harrowing addiction to cocaine – thanks to Celebrity MasterChef.
The 48-year-old actor won the BBC competition back in 2018, impressing hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace with his cooking skills.
Leaving the series, the soap star, who played Jane Beale’s brother, Christian Clarke on EastEnders between 2008 and 2012, successfully curbed his cocaine habit.
In an interview this, John revealed his drug usage began in his late teens before he went on to use cocaine to “reward” himself at the end of a day.
He said: “It really started when I was 17 – clubbing, partying and recreational drug use. OK, it was the 90s.
John opened up about his addiction to cocaine, having kicked the habit to the curb (Image: PA)
“But for me, it went on too long and went too far.
The actor continued telling The Mirror: “I was never one of those people who needed a drink to go to bed or a line of coke to get up and I never used at work.
“But when the day was done I’d reward myself. I’d do that whether it was good or bad. That’s how it got out of control.”
The soap star was crowned the victor of Celebrity MasterChef 2018 (Image: PA)
He added: “I wasn’t a big drinker, I was a big snorter, yeah, that was my thing. The booze was really secondary, the coke was the thing that was my go-to.”
Following the tragic death of his mum in April 2017, John realised he needed to change his ways, going on to win the coveted Celebrity MasterChef title.
Later, he would turn to the kitchen in an effort to distract himself, whipping up inventive new recipes from his kitchen.
John Partridge has thankfully recovered from his cocaine addiction today (Image: PA)
John said: “Every day for the next three weeks I’d go to the supermarket instead of going to NA.
“When it came to that time in the evening – the witching hour – when my husband, Jon, would go to work and I’d be here alone I’d start to get twitchy fingers. So, I’d buy random ingredients and cook. That was how it started.”
Thankfully, John is fully recovered today, and his exploits in the kitchen have inspired a new cookbook, titled There’s No Taste Like Home.
Bringing together recipes that remind John of his past, the recipe book is available now.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
