NOT SO CHEEKY ANYMORE –
Dec. 18, 2025 – While the rest of the year I’d typically get through a bottle of a wine a night, during December that easily doubled. I was always either drunk or hungover.
But last year, far from knocking back morning glasses of prosecco under the excuse of ‘Go on, it’s Christmas’, I began December sat in a circle at a rehab centre, having finally accepted that I had a drinking problem.
Now 53, I’ve been sober for 13 months. But many women like me – with children and successful careers – will still be indulging beyond what’s good for them this festive period.
My job has always involved networking, which meant plenty of post-work drinks. Back then, I was what you’d call a high-functioning drinker.
But in 2017, when my husband Andy had a heart attack, the trauma of trying to resuscitate him before the ambulance arrived saw me turn to the bottle with renewed vigour. He ended up in a rehabilitation centre for three years.
In April 2020, he got Covid and passed away.
To cope with the grief, I threw everything into my business and raising our son Finn, now 17. Alcohol became my solace.
