Susanna Reid reveals the real reason she decided to stop drinking alcohol five years ago

Susanna Reid has revealed the real reason she quit drinking alcohol five years ago.

At the time, the 53-year-old presenter cited 'hangxiety' and a high BMI as her reasons for going tee-total, but has now revealed what pushed her to give up booze for good.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Susanna told co-host Richard Madeley: 'I stopped drinking because a doctor said you should try to stop drinking… for the sake of your skin, and I sometimes think if you have another motivator then: “I'd just like to stop drinking.”

'He said you can look very red and that I was getting all kinds of pimples as a result of drinking. If you tell someone that we are going to heal your skin by quitting alcohol, that is of course good motivation.'

The presenter has been a teetotaler since 2018, with a few mistakes, despite attempts by friends to pull her off the wagon.

“And after I gave it up, if I only had one, I'd see it on my face right away. It was a big demotivator to drink.”

Susanna revealed to the Mail in 2019 that she no longer felt hangxiety and explained what that meant.

“It was like a buzzy feeling: when you can't find peace, your body is so excited,” she said.

'I never drank when I was at work, but on evenings off I would have a few glasses of wine. And Piers and I would spend big nights at the Groucho Club in Soho, which was great.

'But I haven't done that since I stopped drinking. Actually, I'm a lot less fun now, as Piers keeps telling me.'

Susanna also talked about the effect being sober had on her love life.

She said: 'Someone – he'll be anonymous – and I were trying to arrange a date.

'I thought it might be a good way to mention that I don't drink, because most people like to drink on a date.

“And just like that, he stopped making appointments,” she said. 'It just ceased to exist. A lot of people just think you won't have fun on a night out.'

“I don't care,” she added. “I'm just glad I don't have to worry about waking up with a headache.”

Susanna celebrated 100 days of sobriety in December 2018 and seven months in April 2019, but hasn't publicly marked any milestones since.

Speaking after the seven months, Susanna admitted: 'I haven't been completely dry… there are times when you fall back into it.'

In 2020, she said, “It's a bit like the end of a relationship when you're not quite ready to say it's really over.”

Susanna has lost two stone since quitting alcohol.

While Susanna has given up alcohol for good, the presenter revealed last month that she had health fears, with doctors warning her about her caffeine consumption.

Susanna admitted she drank as many as eight cups of coffee a day to cope with the early 3.45am Good Morning Britain start.

'It was a bit of a shock to lose my voice earlier this year. Everyone gets a little cranky sometimes, but I couldn't get any sound out of my vocal chords and that's never happened before,” she said in the February issue of woman&house.

'I went very quickly to a specialist, who stuck a camera down my throat, requiring a nurse to hold my hand as I found that quite intrusive.

'The specialist said I might have a virus I didn't know I had. Unless we're really sick, we'll all keep working, right?

'I'm not doing anything to boost my immunity, and I should. The doctor was quite surprised that I don't drink water anymore and that I drink quite a lot of coffee, so I tried to cut down a bit.

'One morning we discovered that I had had eight coffees. But I don't drink the whole cup, I drink a few sips.'

Susanna said she has reduced her caffeine intake by alternating drinks with ginger tea.