Escape To The Country's Alistair Appleton has opened up about his past with honesty, revealing his struggles with alcohol and drugs during his early television career. The beloved BBC One presenter has been a familiar face since he joined the show back in 2007. Despite his success and popularity, the 54 year old confessed in a candid 2019 interview that his life wasn't always picture-perfect, admitting he was "pretty unhappy" during his early 30s.
Alistair has been transparent about his off-screen battles, discussing his personal demons on his blog, mind-springs.org. He disclosed: "I was drinking a lot, doing a lot of drugs, going out a lot.
" In a heartfelt blog entry from 2019, he reflected on his younger years, stating: "I realised how fossilised and dead-souled I'd become in my 20s," reports OK! . He also shared: "You know, in my 20s all I wanted to be was a famous TV presenter, and by the time I turned 30 I was already seeing that was a very dangerous path for me because I knew that it would just mean more anxiety, more laying value on external looks." Beyond his television career, Alistair has always had a deep interest in meditation, which led him to retrain as a psychotherapist.
His goal was to gain insight into burnout and assist others dealing with anxiety in their lives. His commitment to spirituality once nearly took him to a Thai monastery, as he considered becoming a monk following an extensive meditation retreat in Thailand. However, his friends ultimately convi.
