This Morning’s Gyles Brandreth candidly opened up about his sister’s battle with alcoholism on today’s (November 24) programme.
Speaking to hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, and fellow guest Camilla Tominey at the time, the former Conservative Member of Parliament and Celebrity Gogglebox star was inspired to share a personal story of familial struggle.
After Camilla reflected on her mother’s death due to addiction, Gyles wanted to spread the power of Alcoholics Anonymous with viewers.
Gyles Brandreth recounts late sister’s life collapsing
Turning to Camilla, the colourfully-jumpered star said: “What is interesting you talking so openly about your mother – the more we talk about it the better it is.
“That prompts me to talk about my sister, who basically was saved by joining Alcoholics Anonymous. But she wasn’t able to join until she had hit rock-bottom. None of us, nobody knew what to do. Surrounded by a loving family accepting of it, but eventually somebody got her into AA.”
Cat then asked him whether she managed to hide it from the family to begin with.
“It was sort of hidden,” Gyles answered. “We first became conscious of it when she used to babysit for our children when they were very small. Michèle, my wife, came back and said ‘I think she’s smelling of alcohol again, she’s looking after the children. What do you think?’
“So it gradually became more and more obvious. Her life collapsed, but it wasn’t until it really collapsed that she knew she had to do something,” he added.
It went unmentioned which of Gyles’ three sisters he was referring to, but it’s most likely to have been Hester, who sadly died from cancer aged 60.
A shocking sex confession
Just last year, This Morning regular Gyles recounted the time he interviewed actor Rupert Everett and was blown away by the hedonism of his youth.
“What a wild, sex-fuelled life the actor has led. And how beige my existence has been,” he told The Telegraph. “Rupe has lived – and some. During his late teens, and into his twenties and beyond, sex was central to his existence.
“Young men, old men, he had them all – and women, too. Morning, noon and night, Rupe was having it away with gay abandon. Inevitably, alcohol and drugs were part of the rich mix, but the driving force was sex.”
Then came a surprising sex confession of his own.
“I have got nothing. I have never smoked, I have not touched even the mildest drug,” Gyles conceded. “I don’t drink and if I wrote up the story of my love life, it would be called One and a Half Shades of Beige. Of course, it’s too late now.”
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