Coronation Street’s Kevin Kennedy opens up about his alcoholism as he celebrates 25 years of sobriety

Coronation Street’s Kevin Kennedy has opened up about his alcoholism as he celebrates his 25th sober and noted that his role on the show was a ‘relief’ for him during his time of addiction. .

The actor, 61, played Norman ‘Curly’ Watts in the Manchester-based series for 20 years from 1983 to 2003, and was a fan favorite for his portrayal of an lovable character who owns a telescope precious.

But behind closed doors, Kevin is battling alcoholism which he describes as ‘extreme’ when he admits he would drink a bottle of vodka on his way to the Corrie set every day – then are three bottles of wine, speed and cocaine at night.

He broke down after two days without drinking in May 1998, describing The ‘blackout’ came as a ‘clear moment’ as he told Coronation Street bosses about his decades-long problem.

This October, he will be celebrating 25 years of sobriety – but Kevin insists he won’t make a big deal out of this occasion.

Sober: Coronation Street’s Kevin Kennedy has been open about his alcoholism as he celebrates his 25th sober and noted that his role on the show was a ‘relief’ for him in addiction time

He told The Mirror: ‘The last time I drank was 25 years ago in October. I didn’t think much of it because it was never the last drink I worried about, it was the next. That’s what I’ve always focused on. But maybe I’ll raise a cup of tea to say hello, because tea is the answer to everything.’

Kevin also said that he doesn’t see his job as the cause of his alcoholism, adding that if he did, the role of Curly was ‘a bit of a regret’.

He continued: “It’s not the pressure of work that forces me to do anything, I do it because I like it and like it so much that I can’t stop being addicted.

‘But playing Curly is the perfect job for an addict, because when I’m performing I’m a different person and he’s a lovely guy loved by everyone. Honestly, being Curly, it’s a bit of a regret to be me.’

The actor also credits Coronation Street bosses for saving his life after they took him to The Priory.

His current role is on the stage of the musical Rock Of Ages – where he plays club owner Dennis Dupree, who is surrounded by alcohol and drugs, but he says it is. don’t ‘activate’ him anymore.

Last year, Kevin told The Sun he ‘knows my drinking isn’t normal’.

He said: “I came in the ambulance and it scared me. ‘I knew I was going to die if I continued, but emotionally I don’t understand, the addiction told me it was normal.

Star: The actor, 61, played Norman ‘Curly’ Watts in the Manchester-based drama for 20 years from 1983 to 2003, and was a fan favorite as a lovable character possessing a precious telescope (pictured in 2001)

Struggling: But behind closed doors, Kevin is battling alcoholism which he describes as ‘extreme’ as he admits he would drink a bottle of vodka on his way to the Corrie set every day – then three bottles of wine, spirits and cocaine at night (pictured November 2021)

The actor continued: ‘I know my drinking isn’t normal – no one else I know drinks in the morning, cancels plans because they can’t drink or just goes on holidays where they can. drink the most – but I can’t ‘don’t stop.’

He added: ‘Alcohol held me back, I couldn’t concentrate and made bad decisions. Quitting alcohol has given me an energy boost.’

He admitted the phones ‘didn’t stop ringing’ at his Kennedy St charity, which aims to help people fight alcoholism.

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, he said: ‘We have a very small charity, Kennedy Street. During the lockdown, our phones didn’t stop ringing. Those are the people who self-treat at home during the pandemic.

‘Now is the perfect time to stay sober. We’ve raised funds and we need some help. I think we could lose more people to mental health issues than to the actual virus, the way things are.’

‘There is no judgment. We are not judging anyone here. We’ve all been through it. That is its secret. There is a privacy to it. You can get help without having to do much. You are not alone.’

Battle: This October, he’ll be celebrating 25 years of sobriety – but Kevin insists he won’t make a big deal out of it for the occasion (pictured on Loose Women in May 2022)

Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk