Ulrika Jonsson compares her sobriety to having a ‘spiritual awakening’ and says she went from ‘not wanting to live anymore to trying to squeeze every moment out of life’

Ulrika Jonsson has told how getting sober feels like a ‘spiritual awakening’.

The 58-year-old presenter said that after quitting drinking, he started ‘not wanting to live anymore, trying to squeeze every moment of life’.

The star is about to celebrate two years of sobriety after hitting rock bottom and has opened up about her progress as she hopes ‘the booze will take her away’. On the Rescue Ark House Rehab podcast.

He said: ‘I had a spiritual awakening, it was as if I had been waiting for this my whole life. [going sober].

‘I felt safe after my first date. After my first face-to-face meeting, I felt like I belonged there. There is a lot in the program that needs to be taught in schools. I pass some parts on to my children.

‘It changed me completely. It has the ability to change you as a person and I felt like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. Life will still throw things at me, but I deal with it in a completely different way now.

The 58-year-old presenter said that after quitting drinking, he started ‘not wanting to live anymore, trying to squeeze in every moment of life’

‘I went from not wanting to live to now wanting to squeeze every moment of my life. I miss having some kind of faith. The program was spiritual for me.”

He also talked about how things went south so quickly, explaining: ‘The public saw that someone was in control of their life and was having fun. There was a war between the public self and the private self.

‘My drinking got really bad in the two years leading up to my sobriety. I used this as a mood changer. It facilitated the bridge from the public me to the private me. Being in quarantine was fun and I was a bit of a hedonist.

‘But then he pulled the rug out from under me and I knew I shouldn’t have done that. I was surprised at how quickly it broke down. I never thought this would be me. I quite enjoyed white lies because I created a different world that made drinking easier.

‘Deep inside I was hoping the drink would take me. That’s the only way I can express it.

‘I was hoping one day it would be so bad that I wouldn’t be able to wake up.’

Ulrika in January He revealed the harrowing phone call he received after his drinking got out of control.

In an emotional conversation, he recalled a difficult conversation he had with his best friend at the height of his struggle with alcohol.

The star is about to celebrate two years of sobriety after hitting rock bottom and wishes ‘the booze would take her away’ (seen in 1989)

He said: ‘I had a spiritual awakening, it was as if I had been waiting for this my whole life. [going sober]’

He said that although the conversation was ‘very embarrassing’, it was the moment when he realized something had to change.

Join Spencer Matthews on his podcast UNUSEDHe began: ‘It was terrible. My best friend called me on Saturday morning.

‘He said, ‘I need to talk to you because I spoke to you at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon and I couldn’t understand a word you said.’ You have a problem and I can’t help you.’

‘I was tearing up because there was no way to avoid it. ‘This is coming from a loving place, but you need help,’ he said.

Ulrika continued: ‘I still haven’t stopped drinking, I had to drink after that conversation because it was so embarrassing. It was very bad.

‘I knew you knew I had a problem too. I was told, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’

The TV presenter credits the shocking confession in June 2024 with saving his life and pulling him from the depths of addiction.