A former producer on The Kyle & Jackie O Show has revealed that he secretly spent four weeks in rehab after alcohol addiction began to take control of his life.
Mitchell Coombs, who worked at KIIS 1065 between April 2018 and May 2021, said he realised he had a serious problem when his “love of wine” began to spiral.
“As some of you know, I spent most of October in a rehab clinic trying to get my alcohol dependency under control,” the 30-year-old said.
The Escape Goat podcast host temporarily stepped away from recording to seek professional support after admitting the extent of his drinking problem to his partner, Sean.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love me a wine, but specifically this year, that ‘love’ got a bit out of hand and became quite crippling… I was having WAY too much, WAY too often,” Mitchell explained.
“The problem was never social drinking, it was what went on behind closed doors. It was just hangover after hangover, which is freaking exhausting.
“I’d often be masking the hangovers just to get through the day and appear like I’m fine, then just start all over again and crack another bottle.
“I knew it was bad when I started trying to hide it, or making silly little excuses to justify drinking. The secrecy and lies just weren’t sitting right with me.”
Mitchell Coombs (centre) previously worked as a producer on The Kyle & Jackie O Show
The 30-year-old said he recognised his drinking problem when his “love of wine” began to spiral
For the podcaster, memory loss became one of the biggest warning signs.
“It was happening more and more often,” he said.
“People would tell me stories about the night prior and I’d nod along like ‘Mmm, yeah’ but inside I was thinking, ‘WTF? I have zero memory of that’.”
Mitchell said he had believed he was drinking to “feel good”, only to find that alcohol was ultimately having the opposite effect.
“Booze was starting to impact everything – I was less productive, my nervous system was fried, I was tired all the time, my mental health was all over the shop,” he said.
“I was in so deep and had no idea how to deal with the problem on my own, so I got the help I needed.
“It can feel overwhelming to think ‘Okay, I have a problem, now what?’”
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His path to recovery began after Sean contacted the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 on his behalf.
“They were great at helping us come up with a plan of attack. Turns out I might not have needed rehab if I’d spoken up sooner because there’s a bunch of early interventions I could’ve taken,” Mitchell said.
“Was I sh** scared going into rehab? YEP. Was there any need to be? NUP! It ended up being a super positive experience for me and I’m glad I did it.”
‘I met a bunch of top-notch people and learnt a hell of a lot. I’m not saying that just because I’ve been to rehab it’s a case of “tick, I’m cured!” but I’m feeling very well equipped for the road ahead, with plenty of “tools in the toolbox”, as they say.’
The host of the Escape Goat podcast took a brief break from recording to seek professional help after coming clean to his partner Sean about his drinking problem
The 30-year-old spent about four weeks in rehab to get his alcohol dependency under control
After spending weeks in rehab, Mitchell has now returned to everyday life
After spending weeks in rehab, Mitchell has now returned to everyday life.
‘I’ve been very surprised at how easy I’ve found it to keep socialising (even at pubs) without having a drop of grog. That used to seem impossible to me,’ he explained.
‘It’s been a month between drinks and I’m feeling super refreshed. I’ve gained a sense of clarity I haven’t felt in ages.’
He confirmed he’ll be back hosting his podcast on Monday.
The young man said when he first spoke about his drinking problem on his podcast, he was ‘blown away’ by the overwhelming response.
‘Firstly, everyone was totally in my corner and cheering me on – if you were one of those people, thank you,’ he said.
‘Secondly, people shared their own stories of recovery with me, which was really encouraging.
‘Thirdly, probably most importantly, people told me that my story had made them realise they also had a problem.
‘If you’re someone reading this and there’s a part of you that’s thinking, “Sh** same” please don’t panic. This is not a sign to rush off to rehab necessarily.’
If you’re struggling with addiction, call the National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline – 1800 250 015. It’s a free and confidential service offering counselling, advice and information.