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Celebrities who have overcome addiction

Celebrities who admitted that they needed help

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Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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Anthony McPartlin has recently entered rehab for treatment for anxiety, depression and an addiction to prescription medication which began after a knee operation two years ago. In a statement, the popular presenter told the Sun: "The first step is to admit to yourself you need help. I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry. I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this really difficult time."

Before Ant, many other celebrities have previously publicly admitted that they needed help, and spoke openly about their recovery. We have rounded up a gallery of stars who sought treatment for their addictions and spoke how it changed their lives…

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Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel struggled with drinking alcohol, and has been teetotal for several years now. Speaking about his decision to quit drinking, the Harry Potter star told the Telegraph: "I change when I'm drunk. I'm one of those people who changes. There is something in any person who drinks in a way that's clearly not good for them, something that is attracted to that chaos."

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Drew Barrymore

Drew struggled with drug and alcohol addiction from a young age, and was put into rehab by her mother aged just 13. Speaking about how her unusual childhood made her want to be a "traditional" mum to her daughters, Olive and Frankie, she told the Guardian: "I would never have had children unless I was incredibly stable, and willing to put them first. I felt that everything I did in film mattered. It was my whole world and now it's kids, friends, marriage, work, health."

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Robert Downey Jr

Robert has been drug-free since 2003 after several drug-related arrests. He has since credited his wife with helping him get sober, and spoke about the difficult period in his life when he spent time in at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison. Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: "Job one is get out of that cave. A lot of people do get out but don't change. So the thing is to get out and recognise the significance of that aggressive denial of your fate, come through the crucible forged into a stronger metal."

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Samuel L. Jackson

Speaking to the Guardian, Samuel admitted that his addiction had held him back in his career. He said: "I had a very good theatre reputation. Granted, I was a [expletive] drug addict and I was out of my mind a lot of the time, but I had a good reputation. Showed up on time, knew my lines, hit my marks… So I was doing things the right way, it was just that one thing that was in the way - my addiction. And once that was out of the way, it was – boom! The door blew wide open."

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Jamie Lee Curtis

The Freaky Friday actress became addicted to painkillers after surgery, and has now been sober for over a decade. Speaking on the Today Show, she said: "My recovery is the single greatest accomplishment of my life. Without that, the rest of my life would have fallen apart... Recovery is an acceptance that your life is in a shambles and you have to change it. I was lucky, I didn't have to lose anything."

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Kelly Osbourne

Kelly revealed that she was addicted to Vicodin pills as a teenager, and spent some time in rehab to help her to recover. Speaking about her struggle in her book, Fierce, she wrote: "After 30 days, I left rehab. For the first time, I felt hopeful. I knew I'd been given another chance at my life, at my career, at happiness. I wanted to grab it."

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