Coronation Street veteran unrecognisable as they detail secret life as ‘high-functioning alcoholic’

ok.co.uk:

Former Coronation Street heartthrob Rupert Hill has candidly opened up about the moment he knew alcohol had taken hold of his life.The talented actor, writer, and pub landlord realised that what began as casual drinking had escalated into a full-blown addiction three years ago.

Determined to overcome his struggles, Rupert, who played Jamie Baldwin on the cobbles, dedicated himself to understanding alcohol addiction and embarked on a journey to sobriety.

His personal battle and newfound knowledge have now fuelled his latest creative venture, a play titled Husk, showing at the Hope Mill Theatre in Ancoats.The 46-year-old Chorlton local shared: "It's three years since I gave up alcohol and I'd describe myself before then as being a high functioning alcoholic.

I was working as an actor and managing to keep it under relative control, I also own some pubs in Manchester [The Castle, Gullivers and Lloyds in Chorlton] so it was kind of easy for me to be around alcohol and for it to be completely normal." He continued, revealing the concerning habits that signalled a problem: "It was a big part of my life for a long period but then all of a sudden I started to realise, 'oh I'm starting to have a drink in the morning to get through a hangover', or 'I'm needing a drink in the middle of the night because I can't get back to sleep without one', and then I was starting to drink while I was working as an actor in private - it was becoming more and more secretive." Rupert, who played Corrie's Jamie Baldwin and is married to former co-star Jenny Platt (Violet Wilson) - embarked on a journey to self-education regarding his alcohol addiction as a means to address the issue, explaining: "I started reading lots and lots of books about alcohol.