POP star Michelle Heaton has revealed how her 11-year-old son keeps her away from alcohol – after she would take vodka to the cinema, wine to the park, and her children to pubs for their days out.

The Liberty X star, whose life was turned around after spending 28 days in rehab four years ago, has opened up about her recovery from drink and drug addiction in a new interview.
Pop star Michelle Heaton has revealed her son’s sweet gesture in the aftermath of her addiction to drugs and boozeCredit: Splash
She told how her alcohol issues were heightened during her time in Liberty XCredit: Getty – Contributor
The chart star was admitted to rehab centre The Priory four years agoCredit: Instagram
Michelle, 46, opened up on the sweet way son AJ, 11, helps her with life post-addictionCredit: PA
During the conversation, she blamed the start of the “slow burner” towards her alcoholism on the fact that she could not feed her son AJ breast milk because she’d had a mastectomy to prevent a risk of a cancer gene taking hold.

Opening up to Jessica Ennis-Hill for an episode of the athlete’s Gold Minds podcast, Michelle – set to be on Celebrity MasterChef starting Monday – revealed how she would hide her alcoholism from her children with vodka in bottles of water.

Michelle, 46, who’s married to businessman Hugh Hanley, with whom she has daughter Faith, 13, and son AJ, 11, said: “Two years before actually going into rehab, my husband, my manager, and my best friends all got together and staged this intervention to try and get me help and I just managed to talk my way out of it.”

Despite needing to go to hospital for pancreas and liver disease problems she thought she could stop the alcohol – but she couldn’t, so she hid it.

She said: “I would get drink delivered to the house, I would hide vodka in water bottles and I would be really sneaky.

“We’re very manipulative, addicts. We manipulate to try and only show you what you need to see.

“I was openly drinking, but only drinking wine and I would have that bottle of vodka upstairs hidden in the attic.

“Drinking neat vodka was an everyday occurrence that lasted two years. I would sit in the car outside the house and drink before I went in.

“I would orchestrate days out always around alcohol, whatever we planned as a family – I would bring vodka to the cinema, wine to the park.”

But eventually Michelle was persuaded to seek help at The Priory Clinic after reaching a point where she didn’t want to wake up.

She said: ”Had I not gone to rehab I wouldn’t be alive now.“

FAMILY SUPPORT

Thankfully the rehab ended her addictions and changed her life, while now her children are more aware of her past problems.

She said: “They know more about it now, especially my eldest, she is almost 14 now.

“The kids knew that I was in a hospital – because I was allergic to alcohol. And that wasn’t a lie.

“I don’t think AJ really has any recollection of what happened and Faith doesn’t have much of a memory of the way things were. I definitely would be hiding most of the escapades away from them.

“I think the worst of it from their perspective was that their days out would be with other kids at the pub. There was always a pub in the outing.

“It was my husband who found me the morning after, when I was up all night in the living room. It was my husband who found me in those compromising positions.

“I didn’t think I could exist without drinking alcohol.

“My whole career I drank alcohol – before a performance, after a performance, during.

“I’ve had to relearn steps how to live life.”

SON’S OFFER

Michelle then told how her son’s support had proved crucial post-addiction.

Speaking further about the help from her family she added: “They look after me.

“When we go to the supermarket AJ says ‘Don’t look at that aisle, because it’s got alcohol in it’. He knows I’m good, relapse hasn’t been part of my story. He does it out of love.

“Nothing’s off limits with my children. I’ve been very open with Faith and obviously everything’s on the internet.

“I think what kind of hurt a little bit, if I’m being honest, is that people who you were really close with, who are good people, kind of stop inviting you places.

“They don’t know what to say to you or how to behave, they don’t want to hurt you or put you in a position where they’re drinking, and also they don’t know how to behave with you any more.

“So I have lost a couple of friends who don’t feel easy in my presence. That is a shame.

“I still like to go out and have a good time – I just don’t need to drink on it.”

HEALTH ISSUES

Talking about the concern that triggered the descent into her addiction, she added: ”I got diagnosed with the BRCA2 cancer gene when Faith was six weeks old.

“Me and my husband we decided I’d undergo a double mastectomy and reconstruction.

“I didn’t seek guidance or counselling, I thought I could do it all alone because I was strong enough.

“And then AJ was born. And then came post-natal depression. When he tried to latch on, obviously I couldn’t give him any milk.

“You give what the baby needs and I couldn’t give it – couldn’t do what you’re born to do as a woman when you’ve given birth.

“Then AJ was sick with meningitis when he was six weeks old so I blamed myself for not feeding him breast milk – I know it was probably completely unrelated.

“And I would say that was the start of me changing the way I wanted to feel about myself. so then alcohol became a slow burner in the journey of alcoholism.”
Her raw reveal comes ahead of her Celebrity MasterChef stintCredit: BBC
Michelle has been open about her addiction battles in the past as a way to help othersCredit: wonderwomanshel/Instagram
Michelle is now sober and ready for her next screen projectCredit: Getty 

I used to pay £3k for rent & bills but swapped it for a sunny EU country where I save £2.3k a month & wake ngocc

WITH the cost of living crisis and gloomy weather, many Brits are leaving the UK behind for sunnier – and cheaper – destinations.

One woman, Renae Smith, revealed why she ditched Britain and swapped it for a sun-drenched European country – and her brand new life has inspired many to follow suit.
Prior to the move, the family was living in a three-bedroom house, which set them back £3,000 every monthCredit: tiktok/@renaesmithmc
Now, the mum spends around £700 to live on a sun-drenched Greek islandCredit: tiktok/@renaesmithmc
Before buying a one-way ticket, Renae was forking out thousands every month just to cover her rent and bills – but now she spends around £700 to live in a stunning property abroad.

She recently told her TikTok followers: ”I paid £2,200 a month for rent in the UK – plus, Council Tax which was, I think, £240 a month.”

On top of this Renae said in the video, she had to fork out an additional £140 every month for electricity and gas.

”Almost £3000 to be depressed every month,” she calculated the eye-watering total in the caption.

read more on real life

Now, after leaving the UK for sunny Greece, the TikToker spends just 800 euros on rent and bills – which saves her over £2,00 every month.

And it’s not just the huge savings Renae cannot get over – the gorgeous house also overlooks the sea and picturesque mountains.

”I just couldn’t live in the UK anymore, so I had to pack up and come here – because I can look at this again,” said Renae, who posts under the username @renaesmithmc.

”I look at this every morning – for 800 euros a month.

”Make it make sense – why would I stay in the UK?”

According to Renae, who was aware that the average salary in Greece is around 800 to 1,000 euros – the house is theirs until April.

Love Island star reveals she’s ditched ‘miserable’ UK for the cheapest country in the world & her house is £180 a month

Love Island beauty reveals she’s quit the UK for Vietnam as she shows off her stunning £450-a-month apartment with golden sink and incredible view

”Then we will go smaller and cheaper,” said the TikToker who works remotely.

”This is an island in Greece. Totally understand for locals it’s not as shockingly affordable. We are a seasonal island so I get it’s not for everyone – but it is for me,” she continued in the comments.

Prior to the move to what Renae dubbed ”heaven on earth”, the mum was living in a ”three-bedroom regular house”.

The TikToker, whose partner is an EU citizen, owns a company, with clients in Greece and ”all over the world”.

The nearest doctor is just two minutes away, whilst the primary school is a five minute journey.

”Theatre? No idea and don’t care. Work – I work from bed,” she said in the comments.

How easy is it to move abroad to the EU?

BREXIT means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:

Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.

Uploaded just three days ago, the clip has already taken the internet by storm, racking up more than a whopping 285k views and hundreds of comments.

One envious person begged: ”Girl don’t push it in our faces. We’re trying to leave this mess too.”

Read More on The Sun

”There’s no place like Greece,” someone else chimed in.

”We moved from UK to Spain 7 months ago because we were being ripped off … best thing we ever did as a family,” a fellow TikToker shared their new chapter.