Courtney Friel is a news anchor and reporter at KTLA. She has 15 years sober and is the author of the book “Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News”. She is a mom to a 14-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. Her husband is also sober—they met in AA!

@courtneyfriel on Instagram

Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date?

A. Alcohol, Cocaine, Adderall, Xanax and Ambien! 09/09/09.

Q. Is there anything special in your sobriety toolkit that helps keep you sober?

A. Meditation, journaling, 12-step meetings and working out!

Q. Do you think addiction is an illness, disease, a choice, or a wicked twist of fate?

A. I used to not like to call addiction a disease but then I realized it just means the synapses in addicts’ brains are just programmed differently than ‘normies,’ and that is the disease. That being said, after people get some time, especially if they have worked a program, I do believe they make the choice to relapse.

Q. Where are you from and where do you reside now?

A. I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles since 1999.

Q. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

A. Authentic

Q. If you ever retire, would you prefer to live by the ocean, lake, river, mountaintop, desert, or penthouse?

A. Ocean, if I’m retiring with money to buy a house on the coast. Mountains, if things stay status quo, haha.

Q. How do you measure success?

A. Success is doing what you love to do and making money while doing it.  Success is being happy and not having to rely on your parents supporting you!

Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?

A. Liars, or people who can’t follow through on what they said they would do.

Q. If you had an extra million dollars, which charity would you donate it to?

A. To K-LOVE radio- it’s my positive songs and church while driving.

Q. If you could give advice to your younger self what would it be?

A. Stand up to your bullies. It only irritates them more when you ignore them. Just say something immediately and they will go away.

Q. What is a phrase that has kept you sober during challenging times?

A. ”This too shall pass”.

Q. What major event or realization shaped who you are?

A. Getting sober was the best decision I ever made, and changed the course of my life.

Q. What do you love most about living sober?

A. That it’s so freeing!  I can choose what I go to and leave when I want to. And no more drunk drama! I have real connections with people and make amazing memories — that are not happening in a blackout!

Q. What is your Astrological sign?

A. Taurus on the cusp with Aries.

Q. What book(s) have you read more than once?

A. I’ve listened to Mel Robbin’s “Let Them” book on Audible at least ten times now. I play it in the car or while I’m cleaning my closet. It’s a game changer!

Q. What books are you reading now?

A. I used to only read non-fiction like self help books and autobiographies. Now I’m into novels — but no mythical romance stuff — I’m murder mystery all the way!

Q. If you were giving a dinner party for your 3 favorite authors, living or dead, who would they be?

A. Barbara Walters. Katie Couric. Connie Chung. All my favorite news anchors who also wrote books!

Q. Which film have you watched the most?

A. Zoolander! It’s hilarious. I just showed it to my teenagers and they loved it too, we watched it twice in one week. Most of it holds up.

Q. Who is your favorite film director?

A. I don’t really have one. It’s not something I think about when I’m watching a movie.

Q. What book would you most like to see turned into a movie or TV show that hasn’t already been adapted?

A. My book! “Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News”. It’s come close to happening but you know Hollywood!

Q. Are you binge watching any TV series?

A. Love is Blind. Too Hot to Handle. Very mind-numbing stuff, haha.

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?

A. Hands down, The Olive Garden will always be my favorite, and I know people make fun of me for that.  Growing up in PA — it’s where we went for all the big milestones. I love the breadsticks, salad, and never ending spaghetti marinara pasta bowl!

Q. What is your favorite cuisine?

A. Boring spaghetti with marinara sauce! So, Italian, with Sushi in second place.

Q. What is a style trend you wish would come back?

A. Velour sweatsuits. I showed up to rehab my first day in a turquoise Juicy one!

Q. What are five things you always carry with you?

A. In my work purse I have my IFB ear piece for reporting/anchoring, power bars, hand sanitizer, Advil and a mini brush!

Q. What is the best and or worse piece of advice someone has given you?

A. Someone once told me “Be nice to the people on the way up, because you’ll see them again on the way down” and I’ve never forgotten that!

Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve given someone else?

A. I tell people to read “The Four Agreements” to master their minds and not take things personally! Also — Be Authentic!

Q. What is one thing that always makes you smile?

A. Those little delivery robot carts — every time I see one on the streets I bust out laughing!

Q. What is your biggest fear?

A. My parents dying. I know it will happen eventually, but I’m not looking forward to that day.

Q. What do you love most about yourself?

A. That I don’t sweat the small stuff. It took reading a lot of self help books to get to that point, but now everything just rolls off my back, and if it doesn’t I “rage on the page” and then I’m back to being chill.

Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings?

A. I like getting a great message from the speaker or the shares, and seeing my friends.

Q. How important are your pets to you?

A. Super important! I have two dogs and two cats—and want more!