By The Daily Morni ng Star — Health & Spotlight
Television favourite Anthony “Ant” McPartlin has revealed the harrowing details of his addiction to prescribed painkillers—and how quitting almost cost him his life.
💔 From Injury to Addiction
In 2014, Ant underwent a knee operation following a serious injury. The surgery left complications, and he was prescribed strong painkillers, including tramadol, and sometimes morphine, to manage the pain en.wikipedia.org+12independent.co.uk+12cassioburycourt.com+12. What began as legitimate use quickly spiralled into dependency.
🧠 Hallucinations & Psychosis
In interviews, Ant described a terrifying descent:
“I was at the point where anything—prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs—I would take … mix them with alcohol … You could have killed yourself,” he admitted narcononuk.org.uk+6independent.co.uk+6telegraph.co.uk+6.
He also recounted experiencing hallucinations, becoming so detached from reality that he believed he “saw things in the garden” and couldn’t distinguish pain from perception independent.co.uk+2independent.co.uk+2uk.news.yahoo.com+2.
🚗 Near-Death Incident
The tipping point arrived in March 2017 when Ant mixed his medications with alcohol and blacked out behind the wheel. He crashed his Mini into two other cars in London. He was reportedly just twice the legal alcohol limit, and a young passenger had to be taken to hospital independent.co.uk+4cassioburycourt.com+4rehabguide.co.uk+4. Reflecting on the night, Medics warned Ant: “You could have killed yourself.”
🛑 A Life-Saving Intervention
Following that episode—and an emergency hospital admission—Ant checked into rehab in June 2017. He spent two months in intensive treatment and has since remained clean from hard drugs, using only paracetamol for pain independent.co.uk+8independent.co.uk+8telegraph.co.uk+8telegraph.co.uk+6en.wikipedia.org+6narcononuk.org.uk+6.
“As soon as I asked for help, I was admitting I was done with it all,” he later said independent.co.uk.
🔍 Why It Matters
Ant’s courage in publicly discussing prescription drug addiction and its dangers has resonated across the nation. His message is clear: even medically prescribed drugs can become lethal when misused.
🧭 Final Word
Yes—Ant McPartlin came dangerously close to death when he stopped painkillers without help and mixed drugs with alcohol. Today, he urges anyone in a similar crisis to seek help before it's too late.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, please reach out to your GP or contact organisations like NHS Services or FRANK for confidential support.