Lisa Riley, an Emmy Award winner, has stated that she won’t be raising a glass of champagne to celebrate the new year because completely abstaining from alcohol has been the key to sensational transformation.
Fresh from her emotional stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley is going into the New Year happier than ever – and there won’t be a glass of bubbly in sight. The star, who lost 20lb during her time in the camp, ditched alcohol 10 years ago, with a source telling new the decision has transformed her life.
She feels really good after quitting alcohol. She is awake in the morning, has no feelings of depression, according to the source. Without it, she is actually enjoying life.
Lisa explained how her drinking escalated after her mother Cath passed away from cancer in 2012 while she was in the jungle. She admitted to using alcohol to numb her pain in a private conversation with her campmates. She said, “I genuinely couldn’t cope,” describing booze as “the biggest plaster I could put on myself,” in response to her passing.
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Lisa has previously stated that drinking was the only thing that brought her to peace because of the impact her loss of her beloved mother had had on her. She remarked, “The wine really, really did take the edge off. Because I wasn’t content with myself, I became a little bit of a grey cloud.
The 49-year-old soap star admitted to regularly consuming “three bottles of Malbec every night” while remarking, “Mentally, I needed it.” However, according to our source, Lisa has never looked back since embracing sobriety, and her love-up, booze-free lifestyle has completely changed her fortunes.
According to the source, “Lisa’s secret to happiness is being sober, but also the love of her man, and just really enjoying every moment of life.” She “had a few downs” last year, and I believe she did, in some ways, appreciate everything, especially the little things in life.
Lisa has been with her American musician boyfriend Al since 2014, after meeting through friends. The pair got engaged four years later, with delighted Lisa writing on Instagram that her fiancé is “my soul mate and best mate and love of my life”.
She continued, “Al is the best thing that has ever happened to me… we are just happy together, and we haven’t had any issues, just firmed our togetherness.” Our source explained why they are such good partners, and said, “He is really supportive. He tells her how wonderful she is and that he truly loves her. When Al visited her in the camp, you could tell how adorable they are together. He simply encourages her, and whatever brings him joy is what brings him joy.
Opening up earlier this year about the life-changing moment when she decided to go sober, Lisa said, “I had my last ever drink in a pub in Bury. I was in The Clarence with relatives, reminiscing about my mum one August. We drank a lot and I said to myself, ‘I’m not doing this any more.’ I set myself a challenge to stop drinking until Christmas.
There was pressure to drink at a family baptism in October, but that was everyone else’s problem, not mine. Then I began to think about how long I could go before getting a little obsessed and fixated on the numbers.
On August 19, the actress celebrated a decade of sobriety, saying she “has never felt better.” She said, “I’ve realized how brilliant my life is and don’t need it [alcohol]”. I just don’t need, like, or want it any more, which is not like I’ve ever experienced.
Lisa says her partner still drinks, but she doesn’t mind at all, saying, “Some people find it weird, but I’ve always had a big personality and don’t need a drink to shine.” As well as working wonders for her relationship and her mental health, being teetotal helped Lisa keep the weight off. She’s trimmer than ever following her I’m A Celeb success.
She feels really fit and healthy after losing so much weight in the jungle, according to our source. In a lot of ways, that program really helped her. Everyone approached her because she believed she was the real mummy of the jungle, and it’s given her a real boost in confidence. Additionally, she has never felt better physically. Her skin is flawless, her appearance is flawless, and she intends to keep it up.
Lisa “wants to capitalize on her success and pursue other projects outside of Emmerdale, which she has starred in for 30 years,” according to the source. According to our source, Lisa has big plans for 2026. She desires to give more presentations. She’s got this new confidence from being in the jungle, and she’d like to do more in fashion, something new.
They added, “She doesn’t want to be known just as a Mandy Dingle. She’d love to work on This Morning and is hoping ITV will look at her as being like a Cilla Black sort of person. She showed her tender, soft side on the show, so she’s hoping ITV might give her a break.”
With new friend Vogue Williams offering encouragement, keeping in shape is also a top priority going forward.
Our insider said that Lisa wants to keep losing weight. She has really examined her weight loss and feelings of accomplishment. She adapted Vogue’s exercise routine for camp. She desires a healthy lifestyle. She is making a fresh start, really.
Source: Mirror
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