Celebrity Traitors star Julie Hesmondhalgh has revealed she stopped drinking in 2018 after becoming concerned about her relationship with alcohol.
Speaking to The Times, the former Coronation Street actress described fears about her behaviour before she quit.
Her comments follow her Celebrity Traitors departure, where fellow contestants wrongly suspected she was working against them.
Julie Hesmondhalgh on her drinking concerns
Julie reflected on the place alcohol had held in her life, including the culture she grew up in.
She pointed to her experiences as a working-class northerner during the Eighties and Nineties when explaining that background.
Looking back on her drinking, she said: “I absolutely think that there have been times in my life where I was borderline alcoholic.”
The 56-year-old also recalled a recent taxi journey with a driver who remembered taking her somewhere eight years earlier.
For Julie, the encounter raised an uncomfortable question about whether their previous meeting happened before she stopped drinking.
She apologised to the driver in case she had been unpleasant during that earlier journey.
“I absolutely cringe whenever a taxi driver says that because I gave up alcohol eight years ago,” she said.
“If it was before then, there’s a good chance I was in a total state – crying or ranting. I spend a lot of time fretting that I’ve upset people.”
The concern extends beyond that one conversation. She admitted: “I spend a lot of time fretting that I’ve upset people.”
Julie played Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street from 1998 until 2014, long before her recent reality TV appearance.
Julie Hesmondhalgh’s Celebrity Traitors exit
On Celebrity Traitors, Julie became the third celebrity banished after receiving the most votes at the roundtable.
She and Hannah Fry had both come under suspicion, but it was Julie who ultimately left the castle.
Her revelation that she was a Faithful confirmed the group had voted out someone on their own side.
James Blunt apologised for leading the case against her, while Miranda Hart expressed her anger at the outcome.
Despite that ending, Julie made clear she had loved taking part and valued the experience.
Read more: The strict rules the Celebrity Traitors cast must follow while filming BBC show
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