Lisa Riley, best known for her role on Emmerdale, has revealed the extent of her past drinking habits, describing wild parties that left her home looking like a 'squat'. The 44-year-old actress, who has been teetotal for six years, shared her story on the One For The Road podcast.
Riley recalled regularly hosting parties at her home where friends would 'drink her dry' despite an 'endless supply' of alcohol. She said she would wake up shocked by the state of her house, thinking, 'Look at the state of my house! It looks like a squat!'
The actress also spoke about the regret she feels over lost time with her late mother, who died of cancer in 2012. Riley admitted she 'blames' her partying for not spending quality time with her mother, as she was often hungover when they were together.
After her mother's death, Riley used alcohol as a crutch, saying 'the wine took the edge off'. However, she eventually decided to quit after looking in the mirror and realising she didn't look like herself. She now describes drinking as a 'distant memory' and feels the 'toxic' cycle will never draw her back.
Last summer, Riley marked five years of sobriety with a social media post, celebrating '157,852,800 seconds of freedom'. She reflected on her past 'fake and false' life and friendships, and expressed pride in her journey.
