Shaun Ryder's Candid Health Revelation at Manchester Panel Discussion
Music icons Shaun Ryder and Bez delivered a remarkably frank and unfiltered discussion on men's health, addiction, and the realities of ageing during a special TENA Men event held at Smithfield Social in their hometown of Manchester. The event, designed to encourage open conversation about often-taboo subjects, saw both stars share deeply personal revelations that captivated the audience.
A Shocking On-Stage Admission
Shaun Ryder, the 63-year-old Happy Mondays frontman, set the tone for the evening with a startlingly blunt confession about his current health challenges. "I'm going to tell you a secret now - don't tell anybody, right? I can't piss," Ryder declared from the stage. "I was wearing TENA Men so I could leak, but I can't p**s. Three drops." This raw admission highlighted the very issues the event aimed to address, particularly given new research presented showing that 77% of men lack confidence discussing bladder leaks with friends or family.
Bez's Journey to Sobriety and Wellness
While Ryder admitted to having consumed Guinness before taking the stage, joking that he was "on my second before I was f***ing brought up here," his bandmate Bez revealed a different path. The 61-year-old dancer disclosed he has maintained complete sobriety since Boxing Day, having quit alcohol, drugs, and sugar after what he described as a particularly heavy festive period.
"I was sinking a bottle of tequila a night at work and all that, running right up to Boxing Day," Bez confessed. "I was tanning everything like you wouldn't believe, then I thought, 'That's enough of that rubbish.'" Now four weeks into his sober journey, Bez reported feeling renewed energy and vitality. "I'm buzzing again," he said. "All the sugars out of my system, everything."
Confronting Health After Years of Avoidance
In perhaps his most significant revelation, Bez shared that he has finally confronted his long-standing avoidance of medical check-ups. "I've been blagging myself for years," he told the audience, which included Coronation Street stars Alan Halsall and Andy Whyment. "Honestly, I never go to see the doctor, but today I've had 13 blood tests done. I want to find out whether I've broken down or I'm still going."
Bez credited his commitment to daily juicing for over twelve years as a crucial factor in maintaining his health despite past excesses. "I've done it religiously every day for over 12 years," he explained. "People actually say to me I look better now than I did at 48, which is mad. I live with my foot in both camps, respecting the yin and the yang, but the main thing is the juicing."
A Warning to Younger Generations
Both musicians expressed approval of statistics showing younger generations consuming less alcohol and fewer drugs than their own generation did in its heyday. However, Ryder issued a cautionary note to Generation Alpha and Zoomers about potential delayed experimentation. "They get to 40 or 50, life's kicked them in the bollocks a few times, and they start then," he warned. "They don't know what they're dealing with when they start it later."
The pair agreed that their honest conversation might help future generations avoid learning difficult lessons through personal experience. By sharing their struggles with addiction, health avoidance, and ageing openly, they hoped to demonstrate the importance of confronting these issues directly rather than suffering in silence.
