TOWIE star Freddie Bentley has lifted the lid on his darkest days, describing how heavy drinking nearly cost him his life before he finally chose sobriety.
The 27-year-old reality favourite, who first appeared on Channel 4’s The Circle back in 2018, told how a terrifying health scare landed him in hospital with jaundice and liver failure. Doctors even warned he might need a transplant after his liver enzyme levels hit almost eight times the normal range.
Freddie recalled: “For three months I felt awful – constant back pain, always sick, nothing made sense. On holiday with my family in the Dominican Republic, I couldn’t even keep alcohol down. Then on the flight home, my dad noticed my eyes had turned yellow. I was rushed to hospital and kept in for six weeks. My liver was failing.”
Doctors diagnosed him with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) – a condition with no cure that eventually requires a transplant. But Freddie turned to alternative therapies such as reflexology and spiritual healing, which he says helped stabilise his health. “The doctor told me this was a miracle case,” he admitted.
Earlier this year, Freddie celebrated three years sober on TOWIE, calling it the moment his “life truly began.” He added: “I was only 24 when I quit, but I wanted to show young people that giving up booze doesn’t mean your life is over. For me, it was the start of actually living.”
Now in a far better place, Freddie admits the first year of sobriety was tough: “You grieve your old life – the parties, the nights out. But I’ve grown comfortable in my own skin, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Reflecting on the experience, Freddie said he feels stronger, even after moments of judgement in hospital where assumptions were made about him as a gay man. “It pushed me to toughen up,” he explained.
Though still single after a painful break-up, Freddie insists he’s optimistic about the future. “I trust the universe has my back. If the right person comes along, I’ll know.”
