John Partridge credits Masterchef for helping him talk about drink and drug addictions

John Partridge has thanked Masterchef for helping him to carry on the conversation about struggles with drink and drug addiction.

On Friday 28 September John was named as the winner of this years Celebrity Masterchef. However, in reality, hed been crowned the winner on 13 April 2018 – exactly a year to the day his beloved mother had died.

After her death, and having given up work on EastEnders to care for her, John had spiralled into drink and drug addiction, to a point where hed party for days at a time and would go to the supermarket to buy whole bottles of alcohol to drink in an evening.

Appearing on Loose Women exactly a year to the day he first got sober on 1 October, John revealed his gratitude towards the BBC show for allowing him to continue the conversation about sobriety.

For the first two weeks [of my sobriety] I would go to the supermarket and come home and cook to distract myself. One day I was watching the show and I called my manager and asked to do the programme, he said.

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And then the new year started and I was doing real full Monty and Masterchef at the same time, and I just started talking. Im so grateful they allowed me to continue that conversation.

They allowed me to keep talking.

In a heartbreaking confession, when asked why he hadnt talked before, John revealed it was through shame.

I was embarrassed and ashamed and I hadnt worked it out yet. I just thought I liked to party, he said.

But on realising he needed help, he explained his first step was going to Narcotics Annonymous.

I went to NA, not for long, they deal with everything. I wasnt just drinking I was using drugs. But I didnt go for very long because I couldnt find a way to speak in there. I was embarrassed, I couldnt find the words to share.

I was embarrassed that I couldnt handle it or find a way to be cool with it.

He revealed that in the wake of his mums death hed become addicted to drink and drugs as he drank to feel anything but myself.

I just didnt want to feel, he said.

But having ended up on Masterchef – and becoming the eventual winner – John explained the show helped him recapture the past hed been trying to forget.

When I started cooking through the show, cooking the food of the past helped me to deal with my present, he said.

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John wowed judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode with his fancy takes on the Lancashire Hotpot, a cheese and onion pie, and a microwave TV dinner.

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