A former participant of the reality show “I’m A Celebrity” disclosed that the pressure of the program led to a relapse after 13 years of abstaining from drugs. In 2017, he was a popular television host recognized for his sharp humor and impeccable comedic timing. During his time on the show, he showcased his entertainment skills alongside fellow contestants such as Jamie Lomas, Rebekah Vardy, Georgia Toffolo, and Stanley Johnson.
The individual, Iain Lee, attributed his return to drug use after being clean for 13 years to his involvement in the ITV show. The 52-year-old comedian, who came in third place on the show in 2017, had ceased attending Narcotics Anonymous after 11 years and admitted that he had initiated the relapse himself.
Iain pointed to the stress of the show and the negative dynamics with certain campmates as factors contributing to his setback. In a recent interview with the Daily Star, he shared, “I went in 13 years clean, but not long after coming out, the stress of the show got to me. I was in there with a bunch of individuals, not blaming them, it’s my fault. I picked up again, it was totally on me.”
He openly discussed the challenges he faced with specific campmates, including former boxer Amir Khan, Rebekah Vardy, and Dennis Wise. Despite this, he took full responsibility for his relapse and proudly announced his upcoming five-year milestone of sobriety.
In a statement made in September, Iain acknowledged his role in the decline of his once successful TV career due to his drug dependency. He expressed to The Guardian, “I’m making peace with my past. I was never very proud of my TV career. I thought it was subpar.”
Furthermore, he confessed, “If anyone was hindering my career, it was me. I was consuming excessive drugs, becoming highly unreliable and difficult to work with… an unpleasant individual.”
Reflecting on his struggles, Iain admitted, “So I took cocaine and it gave me this false sense of confidence. It appeared as arrogance, but it stemmed from sheer fear.”
Following his relapse post-“I’m A Celebrity,” Iain faced another setback in 2020 when he lapsed after two years of sobriety. He informed his followers on X that he had resumed his sobriety journey and later shared on his show The Late Night Alternative, “So here’s the thing, I took drugs. After two and a half years clean, I took drugs. This is regrettable. It’s not regrettable, but I feel regretful.”
He continued, “Last weekend, not the most recent one, the one before, I took some drugs. It wasn’t my drug of choice, and it didn’t have much effect, it gave me a terrible headache, made me slightly buzzed, and caused me to vomit.”
The Mirror reached out to ITV for a comment on the matter.
For more entertainment news and updates, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@dailymirror" rel