Strictly contestant and Bake Off winner reveals steroid addiction

TV chef John Whaite has revealed his five-year steroid addiction “made me want to end my life”.

The 36-year-old is known for winning The Great British Bake Off in 2012 and came second as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

In an emotional video Posted on Instagram, The 36-year-old explained that he had been “using anabolic steroids illegally for five years and these things have really ruined my life.”

He said he now speaks out in the hope that “young people will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies.”

Whaite is also known for featuring cooking segments on daytime shows such as ITV’s Lorraine and Steph’s Packed Lunch.

She told her followers that she started taking steroids during quarantine because “I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw.”

Whaite explained that she suffers from bulimia, an eating disorder, and body dysmorphia, in which a person perceives flaws in their own body that are often less noticeable to others.

He said: “The more people accepted how I looked when I was on steroids, the better I felt, the more validated I felt.”

He said one side effect was that his testicles shrank: “I have tiny balls now, there’s your headline,” he said.

Whaite also said steroids cause acne and irregular sex drive.

The chef and TV presenter said he decided to speak out after hearing a young male member of his family talk about a “dangerously powerful steroid”.

“I really worry about young people growing up seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,” Whaite said in the tear-jerking video.

“You only have one body, so please respect it, please let it do its best, don’t try to force it, stretch, eat well, try to get to that place where you look in the mirror and see yourself with kind eyes.”

He added that taking steroids was “a stupid decision for me” and that he was “tired of sticking with that solution.”

In a caption accompanying the video, Whaite concluded: “Steroids made me want to end my life.

“This ends now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.”

The BBC contacted Whatete for comment.

anabolic steroids – a man-made substance that copies the male hormone testosterone – are class C drugs legal for personal use.

Pharmacists can only dispense these with a prescription.

However, it is illegal to supply or sell them, including giving them to friends. This carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Seizures of anabolic steroids in the UK last year increased by 26% to 995,830 doses; most of these were found on the UK border.

There is no official medical research or guidance on how to reduce the risks of taking them.

Steroids stop many normal functions of the body, including sperm production. Side effects such as testicular shrinkage reversible When men stop taking the medication, it can take years and is often not complete.

If you’re affected by any of the issues in this story, you can get support at: BBC Action Line.