Ulrika Jonsson has admitted she ‘didn’t recognize herself anymore’ and was ‘quite broken’ before making the decision to quit alcohol.
The TV personality, 57, gave up booze for good in June and sought help after previously admitting she often blacked out after drinking heavily on her own.
And in a candid new post shared to Instagram on Thursday, Ulrika marked her milestone of six months sober, while crediting her loved ones for helping her get this far.
In her post, the former Gladiators star shared a photo of herself in the moment, as well as an older photo of herself ‘under the influence of alcohol’, which she admitted she previously ‘couldn’t stand’ to look at.
Describing her road to sobriety, Ulrika wrote, “Today I am six months sober. On June 5, 2024, I was given the gift of despair and sought help. I no longer recognized myself and surrendered.
“A lot of people have asked me how I did it and all I can say is that no woman is an island; I didn’t do this alone. The willingness to give up alcohol came from me, yes, but without the support of friends, family, and my new tribe, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.
Ulrika Jonsson has admitted she ‘no longer recognized herself’ and was ‘quite broken’ before making the decision to quit alcohol
In her post, the former Gladiators star shared a photo of herself in the moment, as well as an older photo of herself “under the influence of alcohol,” which she admitted she previously “couldn’t stand” to look at
‘This is a journey and not a destination. It’s never over. It is a process in progress. But once you decide to make changes, good things happen.”
The mother-of-four added: “It has been difficult and I am sure it will continue to be so, but I am learning calmness and have gained an inner peace that I have never had before.
‘The restlessness within me disappears and I learn to accept the things I cannot change and I find the courage to change the things I can.’
Referring to the image of her being ‘drunk’, Ulrika added: ‘Pic. 2: is mine in the middle of the madness. Another drunken moment. At first I couldn’t bear to look back at photos of myself under the influence of alcohol. The cloak of shame was too much of a burden.
‘But now that I look at those images, I feel pity and sympathy for that girl; she desperately needed to be picked up; held firmly and helped. Not ashamed or condemned. She was 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 due time. I am still at the very beginning of my journey, but my life has changed in a beautiful way. It’s something spiritual. One day at a time….
‘Thank you to everyone who supported me – my 4 Ungratefuls; my Bestie and good friends. And of course my new group of friends who help keep me afloat; shows me the way without judgement.’
Ulrika’s message was met with words of congratulations and encouragement from her fans and showbiz friends, including Kirsty Gallacher, Grace Dent and Helen Skelton.
In a candid new post shared to Instagram on Thursday, Ulrika marked her six-month sober milestone while crediting her loved ones for helping her get this far
Last month, Ulrika marked five months of sobriety by posting a black screen message on her Instagram Stories, where she is followed by 204,000 people.
She simply wrote: ‘5 months sober today #sobriety #serenity #clarity’.
In October, she lifted the lid on her decision to go alcohol-free and how she realized her relationship with alcohol was destructive.
The presenter announced this she used alcohol to ‘remember the good times’ and often blacked out after binge drinking alone.
She told me The sun: ‘[Alcohol] suppressed my anger. I was angry at the world for all kinds of reasons. I drank to remember the good times and to forget the current bad times.”
Ulrika explained that although she drank to “kill her anxiety,” she was in fact a “functioning binge drinker” and never vomited or looked disheveled.
“But the number of times I blacked out and couldn’t remember the night before when I had been drinking alone increased.”
‘[Alcohol] was the perfect escape from my misery. When I drank, I felt myself becoming a better, kinder person, and better equipped to cope. The truth, of course, was quite the opposite. Drinking worsened my anxiety, which meant I started ‘self-medicating’ with a drink. This would calm me down temporarily, and then it would return with a vengeance.
Last month, Ulrika marked five months of sobriety by posting a black screen message on her Instagram Stories, where she is followed by 204,000 people
In October, Ulrika revealed that she used alcohol to “remember the good times” and often “blacked out” after drinking alone.
She said:[Alcohol] suppressed my anger. I was angry at the world for all kinds of reasons. I drank to remember the good times and to forget the current bad times.” (photo 2022)
Ulrika recalled how her friend called one morning to reveal that they had spoken the night before, when the TV favorite was so drunk she didn’t feel like it anymore.
The Swedish star said she “sobbed like a child” after the chat and was “full of despair” when she realized she indeed had a destructive relationship with alcohol.
Heavy episodic drinking is defined as consuming 60 grams or more of alcohol – the equivalent of 7.5 units – on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.
This is the equivalent of drinking just over three pints of medium strength beer, or five small glasses of wine, or about seven single-shot gin and tonics in one sitting.
Ulrika’s six-month sober milestone comes days after she claimed Gregg Wallace cried after being reprimanded for making a ‘rape joke’ that ‘really upset’ one MasterChef contestant and forced another contestant to leave another set .
Gregg, 60, quit MasterChef last week after 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, accused him of ‘wrong’ and inappropriate ‘sexualised’ behavior during filming.
And Ulrika, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, claimed a female contestant was extremely upset by his ‘rape joke’, prompting another person to storm the set and complain to his bosses.
“Then they went to talk to Gregg. After a while he came up… and apologized. He could barely get his words out. He apologized and had tears in his eyes,” she said.
Ulrika’s six-month sober milestone comes days after she claimed Gregg Wallace cried after being reprimanded for making a ‘rape joke’ that left one MasterChef contestant ‘really upset’ and forced another contestant to leave
Gregg, 60, quit MasterChef last week after 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, accused him of ‘wrong’ and inappropriate ‘sexualised’ behavior during filming
“Then they went to talk to Gregg. After a while he came up… and apologized. He could barely get his words out. He apologized and had tears in his eyes,” she said (pictured in August)
But she added: “The apology should have applied to everyone. It felt like, you know, “don’t make the joke in the first place” and said she “definitely” felt uncomfortable on set after his joke.
Gregg has also been accused of Rod Stewart of a ‘bully’ towards his wife Penny Lancaster.
The singer delivered an angry tirade at the Masterchef presenter, calling him a ‘fat, bald, ill-mannered bully’ for ‘humiliating’ his wife when she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Meanwhile, other witnesses claim he wandered around the MasterChef studio naked with a sock over his penis.
A total of 13 people complained about Wallace’s behavior while working with him on five shows over a 17-year period, from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed.