Ulrika Jonsson Reveals How She Quit Alcohol “I Had the Gift of Desperation”
Ulrika Jonsson has bravely shared her journey to sobriety, revealing the struggles she faced with alcohol and the remarkable transformation she’s experienced since choosing to quit. The 57-year-old TV presenter, who rose to fame presenting the weather in the late ’80s, admitted that alcohol once controlled her life, leading to moments of blackout drinking and reckless behavior.
In a candid post on Instagram, Ulrika confessed to using alcohol as a crutch to cope with anxiety. “Drink quelled my anxiety,” she explained. “It transported me to another place where I felt at peace — where the problems of the world couldn’t reach me and, most importantly, where I felt numb.” However, the reality of her drinking grew harder to ignore as she began losing memories of her nights out and drinking alone.
“It wasn’t until a friend confronted me about my behavior that I realized I had a problem,” she recalled. Her friend bluntly told her that their recent phone conversation had been incoherent due to her drunken state. Ulrika finally hit rock bottom, reaching out for help with a “gift of desperation”, reported by the Mirror.
In her Instagram post, Ulrika marked the milestone of being six months sober. She shared two photos, one of her current self, celebrating the progress she has made, and another from her “drunk moment.” Looking back, she feels sympathy for her past self. “She desperately needed to be scooped up; held tightly and helped. Not ashamed or judged. She was quite, quite broken,” she wrote.
“I no longer recognised myself and I surrendered,” she shared, reflecting on how lost she felt at the beginning of the year. “It’s a journey, not a destination,” she added. “Once you resolve to make changes, beautiful things happen. I’m learning serenity and have gained an inner peace I’ve never, ever had.”
Ulrika credits her sobriety to the support she received from her friends and family, including a friend who had been sober for five years and encouraged her to make a change. “Without the support of friends, family, and my new tribe, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” she said. “This is a process in progress, but my life has changed in a beautiful way.”
Ulrika’s journey highlights the power of community and the importance of seeking help when battling addiction. With over 600,000 adults in Britain struggling with alcohol dependence, her openness offers hope to others facing similar challenges.