The star of Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special, comedian, Josh Widdicombe, has bravely opened up about his life away from the spotlight

Josh Widdicombe has admitted he once collapsed while struggling with alcohol addiction and the pressures of parenting.

The comedian, 41, who takes to the dancefloor on Christmas Day for the Strictly Come Dancing festive special, is one of the UK’s most popular comedians. However, off-screen, Josh has gone through a tough time, admitting he suffered a breakdown in 2022 while trying to manage his relationship with alcohol, stress and parenting.

Reflecting on his past, the Mock The Week star admits he would often drink to excess, throwing up and blacking out. Opening up about his relationship with alcohol, he revealed it “was very unhealthy”.

Josh Widdicombe is set to feature in this years Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special ( 
Image:
PA)

He shares two children with wife Rose Hanson, daughter, Pearl, seven, and son, Cassius, three. ( 
Image:
WireImage)Josh told The Times: “I’ve always had a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I didn’t do it every day so it took me ages to realise I had a problem.” However, when Josh’s drinking started to impact his parenting, he knew something had to change.

He insisted that he didn’t want to be an absent father and was concerned that his drinking was starting to take its toll, however he was also worried about his career.

Josh shares two children with wife Rose Hanson, daughter, Pearl, seven, and son, Cassius, three. The QI panellist said: “I never wanted to be an absent dad. And yet I didn’t want to let my career slide either. So I piled even more pressure on myself. Everything was pressure. Eventually I just kind of collapsed.”

Explaining that being honest about his mental health improved his comedy routine, he shared: “It was just overwork, burnout, leading to depression and anxiety … And I was funnier being more honest. If I talk about closing my eyes and not being able to sleep because I am having an anxiety attack, that’s funny.”

Earlier this year, the stand-up announced a year of sobriety as he took to Instagram with a witty post. The comedian revealed he was enjoying life more since ditching drinking and found going to weddings, parties, concerts and festivals could all be just as pleasant without a drink in his hand.

He added that it has also made him a better father and he is no longer as irritable with his family or even waking up worried about what he did or said the night before.

The father-of-two went on to tell his followers that drinking in moderation was never his forte and he often found himself wanting 10 more glasses of wine after his first.

Alongside a picture of a mug of tea with the message ‘Everything is good’ on it, he quipped that the only down side of sobriety was that he no longer enjoyed going to Ibiza.

Josh joked: “As of last week I’ve not had a drink in over a year. Spent the last week wondering if I am the kind of insufferable p***k that posts about it on Instagram with a ‘read more post, turns out I am.”

The star will now grace our screens on Christmas Day for the Strictly Come Dancing festive special, which also stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Vogue Williams and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star, Tayce.