Sober stars who WON’T be raising a glass this New Year’s Eve

Christmas for many involves boozy parties and raising a glass or two over lunch before ringing in the New Year with Champagne. 

But many stars won’t enjoying a tipple this festive season after struggles with alcohol have seen them embrace a healthier lifestyle. 

Chrissy Teigen ditched the booze after her drinking became an ’embarrassment ‘ while Lily Allen said she would ‘risk everything’ if she started drinking again. 

However many have stumbled along the road to sobriety, with Ben Affleck undertaking three stints in rehab – the latest in 2018 was staged by then wife Jennifer Garner. 

Struggles with alcohol have also had negative affects on the star’s nearest and dearest with Denise Welch admitting  her ‘disastrous’ relationship with booze effected her relationships with sons Matt and Louis Healy. 

Here MailOnline looks at the stars who won’t be drinking this Christmas….

Christmas for many involves boozy parties and raising a glass or two over lunch before ringing in the New Year with Champagne (Ben Affleck pictured) 

But many stars won’t enjoying a tipple this festive season after struggles with alcohol have seen them embrace a healthier lifestyle (lily Allen pictured 2006)

Chrissy Teigen (pictured 2017) ditched the booze after her drinking became an ’embarrassment ‘ while Lily Allen said she would ‘risk everything’ if she started drinking again.

Ben Affleck – 27 years 

Actor Ben Affleck has been open about his addiction battle and first stopped drinking in 1997.

‘I just wanted to stop,’ he told a reporter in 1998. ‘I started regretting some things I did when I was drunk. 

‘It’s funny to be obnoxious or out of control, but then it’s like, “I think I hurt that person’s feelings”, “I made a fool of myself” or “I didn’t want to kiss that girl”. I have almost no inhibitions, so it’s dangerous for me.’

He sought treatment for alcoholism in 2001 and again went to rehab in 2017 and 2018, after Jennifer Garner – with whom he shares children, Violet, Seraphina (who now goes by Fin) and son Samuel – staged an intervention with the help of a sober coach at his home.

Actor Ben Affleck has been open about his addiction battle and first stopped drinking in 1997 (pictured earlier this year)

‘I just wanted to stop,’ he told a reporter in 1998. ‘I started regretting some things I did when I was drunk’ (Ben, L, pictured with Matt Damon, R, in 1998)

He sought treatment for alcoholism in 2001 and again went to rehab in 2017 and 2018, after ex Jennifer Garner  staged an intervention with the help of a sober coach at his home (pictured 2013)

Insiders claimed Ben finally feels ready to start dating again after his public split from Jennifer Lopez (pictured together earlier this year) – but he only wants to date women who are sober 

Speaking to The New York Times in 2020, he explained: ‘I drank relatively normally for a long time. What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart.’

Insiders recently claimed Ben finally feels ready to start dating again after his very public split from Jennifer Lopez – but he only wants to date women who are sober.

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Ben reportedly struggled with the ‘tough’ fallout from their split, which served to show him how important it is to never jeopardize his sobriety. 

He was reportedly upset by the news that people feared he would relapse after a lengthy bout of sobriety.

‘Ben tries to avoid reading the news but it did upset him that people thought he relapsed because he had not,’ a source told Daily Mail US. ‘Like every alcoholic, Ben just wakes up with one goal in mind. To stay sober for that day.’

They continued: ‘He only wants to date someone who is sober or in recovery. These past two years have been tough for Ben and as he begins to heal, one thing is very clear: his recovery comes before anything. He is not going to put his sobriety in jeopardy.’ 

Lily Allen – 5 years

Lily Allen opened up about her relationship with booze earlier this year, as she explained her dedication to staying sober comes from knowing what she risks losing by drinking again.

The singer, 39, has always been candid about her drink and drug abuse, saying quitting alcohol and drugs was the best decision she had ever made.

She has now been sober for almost five years, previously revealing that the last time she consumed alcohol was July 28, 2019. 

Lily Allen opened up about her relationship with booze earlier this year, as she explained her dedication to staying sober comes from knowing what she risks losing by drinking again (pictured 2008) 

The singer, 39, has always been candid about her drink and drug abuse, saying quitting alcohol and drugs was the best decision she had ever made  (pictured in 2009)

The star, who has been clean for five years and said : ‘I don’t think I’d ever had sex with anybody not drunk before I got together with him. So that was different.’ 

Speaking to her pal Miquita Oliver on their podcast, Miss Me?, Lily explained she’s motivated to stay sober because of all the good things she has her life.

She admitted she thinks she would ‘lose everything’ if she went back to drinking, including her home, relationship with her two daughters, Ethel, 13 and Marnie, 11, and husband David Harbour.

Miquita, 40, praised her friend on not being tempted to have a drink when out at the pub and asked what her secret was.

Lily replied: ‘I don’t know really, I’m just used to it now. It’s been nearly five years of sobriety, coming up this summer. I don’t know there’s a secret.’

Ulrika Jonsson – 6 months

Ulrika Jonsson celebrated being five months sober last month, after admitting she would often ‘black out’ after binge drinking alone.

The broadcaster, 57, was one of TV’s most recognised faces and hosted Gladiators and The Eurovision Song Contest during the height of her fame.

In October, she lifted the lid on her decision to go booze-free and how she realised that her relationship with alcohol was a destructive one.

Now, celebrating the milestone of five months, Ulrika posted a message on a black screen to her Instagram stories, where she is followed by 204,000 people.

She simply wrote: ‘5 months sober today #sobriety #serenity #clarity’.

Ulrika Jonsson celebrated being five months sober last month, after admitting she would often ‘black out’ after binge drinking alone 

In October, she lifted the lid on her decision to go booze-free and how she realised that her relationship with alcohol was a destructive one (pictured 2022) 

Ulrika marked five months of sobriety by posting a message on a black screen to her Instagram stories, where she is followed by 204,000 people 

In October, Ulrika revealed that she used to use alcohol to ‘remember the good times’ and would often ‘black out’ after binge drinking alone.

She told The Sun: ‘[Alcohol] stifled my anger. I was angry with the world for all sorts of reasons. I would drink to remember the good times and to forget the present bad times’. 

Ulrika explained that while she drank to ‘kill her feelings of anxiety’ she was in fact a ‘functioning binge drinker’ and never vomited or appeared dishevelled.

‘But the number of times I would black out and not recall the night before when I had been drinking alone, were increasing’.

Matt Willis – 5 years

In a deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Matt Willis opened up about his journey through addiction, recovery, and relapse on a podcast released in December. 

The Busted singer, 41, had been sober and off drugs for eight years but in 2017 Busted reformed for a tour, and Matt relapsed. He has now been sober for five years.

The boy band star struggled to stay sober for most of his adult life after being launched to fame at just 19 years old. 

He entered rehab three times before he turned 25 – including once shortly before he married his The Voice presenter wife, Emma, 48, in 2008. 

In a deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Matt Willis opened up about his journey through addiction, recovery, and relapse on a podcast released in December 

The Busted singer, 41, had been sober and off drugs for eight years but in 2017 Busted reformed for a tour, and Matt relapsed. He has now been sober for five years 

He entered rehab three times before he turned 25 – including once shortly before he married his The Voice presenter wife, Emma, 48, in 2008 (pictured together in 2019)

The boy band star struggled to stay sober for most of his adult life after being launched to fame at just 19 years old (Busted pictured 2002)

Matt explained on the Mail’s Life of Bryony podcast why he turned to drugs and alcohol: ‘I’ve always felt less than in pretty much every situation I go into, you know, and I always felt like everyone just thought I was a bit of a d**k.

‘And that I’d be better off not there and then I found drinking drugs and it went away and it was a solution to my problem until it became my problem that I needed a solution from.

‘It gave me everything I didn’t have. It gave me confidence, it gave me ability to talk to people, to talk to girls, to talk to adults.

‘I was 19 in a world of music and adults and stuff, and I didn’t know how to behave and suddenly I was like, oh right, we can get on it, and everyone’s caught.’

He added: ‘It gave me all that, and then, you know, first it’d give it, then it’d take it away, you know, and, um, And it slowly became the opposite. It was suddenly the person no one wanted to call, no one wanted to invite to anything.

Matthew Kelly – 8 months 

Matthew Kelly opened up about going sober after his friends nicknamed him ‘Muriel Malbec’ due to his love of red wine.

The broadcaster and actor, 74, shot to fame by hosting some of the biggest shows including Stars In Their Eyes from 1993 until 2004 and game shows You Bet and Game For A Laugh. 

Once he left our screens, the star then returned to acting full-time but admitted to struggling with his relationship with alcohol.

That was until he he starred in a production of The Gap at the Hope Mill alongside Denise Welch earlier this year.

Matthew Kelly, 74, opened up about going sober after his friends nicknamed him ‘Muriel Malbec’ due to his love of red wine 

The broadcaster and actor hosted some of ITV ‘s biggest shows throughout the 90s including talent series Stars In Their Eyes between 1993 until 2004, (pictured in 1992)

Matthew revealed that it was the Denise Welch who inspired him to finally stop drinking after a three month binge, as he marked six months sober

Matthew revealed that it was the Loose Women star who inspired him to finally stop drinking after a three month binge, as he marked six months on a podcast.

Speaking to former X Factor host Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast in October, Matthew shared: ‘I thought she’s [Denise] quite an inspiration, as you know. And one of the first things she tells you is how long she’s been dry. And I thought, “What? This is marvellous”. I thought “this is an ideal opportunity”.

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‘I’ve got three months with this woman, and I do like a bevvy, as you know. I thought I’ll use this three months. And well, there was not a night went by that I didn’t get absolutely trashed at the bar afterwards’.

He went on: ‘But after that show, I thought I was sitting with a friend and I thought, you know what? I’ve really got to stop drinking. I said, “I’m going to stop drinking”. And he said “do you know what? I want to stop”. So I did it’.

‘At about ten weeks later, I rang him and I said “how are you getting on?” He said, “well, do you know, I never really stopped to be honest with you”. I said “oh, that’s absolutely fine”‘.

‘So for me it’s been about it’s been more than six months. On the other hand, the company I was with before used to call me Muriel Malbec. So I thought it’s about time I changed!’

Denise Welch – 12 years

Denise Welch celebrated 11 years of sobriety last April and took to social media at the time to reflect on her decision to give up alcohol as she marked the milestone.

The Loose Women star, 66, took to Instagram to share two snaps of herself, taken over 11 years apart, as she spoke about how sobriety changed her life.

She admitted her ‘disastrous’ relationship with alcohol affected her relationship with her husband Lincoln Townley and the lives of her sons Louis and Matty who she shares with her ex Tim Healy.

Denise Welch celebrated 11 years of sobriety last April and reflect on her decision to give up alcohol as she marked the milestone (right in 2023 left in 2012) 

 She admitted her ‘disastrous’ relationship with alcohol affected the lives of her sons Louis, 22, and Matty, 34, (both pictured in May 2015) who she shares with her ex Tim Healy

Denise’s husband Lincoln Townley previously credited her with helping him to become sober, leading him to become one of the country’s most in-demand artists

The Coronation Street actress went on to share that although going sober ‘wasn’t easy’, it completed changed her life and the lives of her loved ones.

In a poignant caption, she penned: ’11 yrs sober today!!! Giving up my disastrous relationship with alcohol changed my life, my husband’s life and my children’s lives. Plus the lives of all who love me.

‘It wasn’t easy. Addiction is a cruel and frightening illness. But together @lincolntownley and I realised that we were destroying many lives including our own and we did it. 

‘I now have a wonderful marriage that is the foundation of my life. Our kids are happy and I hope those of you struggling find the strength to stop. 

‘If alcohol no longer makes you happy, if your drinking makes others lives miserable it’s time to stop. There is help there if you need it.’

Chrissy Teigen – 4 years 

Model and TV personality, 39, went sober in December 2020 after she confessed her drinking ‘started to get embarrassing’. 

Model and TV personality, 39, went sober in December 2020 after she confessed her drinking ‘started to get embarrassing’ (pictured 2017) 

But she encountered a few ‘wine hiccups in the road’ and started drinking again. In July 2021, Chrissy, wife to musician John Legend, started her journey all over again 

Marking one year of being booze-free in a proud Instagram post, she revealed: ‘I miss feeling loopy and carefree sometimes 

But she encountered a few ‘wine hiccups in the road’ and started drinking again. 

In July 2021, Chrissy, wife to musician John Legend, started her journey all over again. 

Marking one year of being booze-free in a proud Instagram post, she revealed: ‘I miss feeling loopy and carefree sometimes.

‘But, to be honest, towards the end, it didn’t give that fun feeling anymore, anyhow.’

Chrissy added: ‘I drank to end crazy anxiety that later mostly went away when I – get this – quit drinking! sigh. 

‘Anyhow I feel really good. Sometimes I get really frustrated looking back on days I should remember way better than I do because of alcohol.’  

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Doctor reveals the most popular new sex kinks going into 2025
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For those with a New Year’s resolution of adding a little spice to their life, a sex expert has revealed the kinkiest new bedroom trends for 2025.

Dr Jessica O’Reilly, a sexologist and relationship expert, serves up five ‘novel approaches’ to sex, which she promises will lead to a more fulfilling experience between the sheets.

To enhance arousal and pleasure, Dr O’Reilly advises trying ‘multisensory integration,’ which involves stimulating sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, while having sex. 

This, she says, will ‘create richer and more fulfilling experiences.’ 

Among her other top tips, Dr O’Reilly advises people to incorporate adventurous positions, music and even erotic art to ramp up their sex lives. 

She wrote for Astro Glide: ‘As we approach 2025, new year’s resolutions begin to take center-stage. Goals often relate to fitness, diet, finances, travel and daily practices with health and self-improvement topping the list of planned commitments. 

‘Relationships and sex may not claim top spots among resolutions despite the fact that prioritizing intimacy, pleasure, and connection can be just as transformative. 

‘Of course, the best sex of your life isn’t just about the physical act itself, but is intertwined with emotional connection, exploring desires, cultivating confidence, and embracing curiosity and playfulness.’

Dr Jessica O’Reilly, who is based out of Toronto, advises trying out ‘multisensory integration’, which involves stimulating sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, while having sex

Estimates suggest nearly 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, and sexual satisfaction – or rather dissatisfaction –  is a major driver for calling its quits, so keeping things interesting in the bedroom could be marriage-saving. 

Ignite the senses 

To keep things spicy, Dr O’Reilly first recommends visual stimulation. She suggests using ‘ambient lighting like dimmable lamps, colored lightbulbs or candles to create a visually appealing environment.’

For an even bolder approach, she says you can also consider ‘hanging erotic art or playing sexy videos in the background’ while being intimate with a partner.

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Next, Dr O’Reilly recommends ‘auditory enhancement,’ writing that sound can be a turn on.

She advises making a music playlist with tracks on it that ‘move you.’

To ignite a little more passion, she adds: ‘You may opt for rhythms that guide your hips or symphonies that create crescendos of emotion. 

‘Use whispered affirmations and erotic storytelling to set the mood.’

Next, Dr O’Reilly looks at how you can make touch more than just skin-to-skin contact with a range of different objects, from textured bed linens to silky lingerie. 

The relationship expert explains: ‘Introduce varied textures through bedding, clothing and accessories. 

‘Silk sheets, velvet cushions or textured blindfolds and restraints can provide novel sensations. 

‘Incorporate temperature play with warmed or cooled objects to stimulate nerve endings.’

Spicing things up for the New Year, sexologist Dr Jessica O’Reilly has revealed some of her top sex kinks for 2025

To ‘play with cooling sensations across the entire body,’ Dr O’Reilly’s top tip is storing lubricant in the fridge before a rendezvous.

In terms of igniting your sense of smell, scented candles, essential oils and incense sticks are among her suggestions.

And when it comes to which scent to pick, she says vanilla, jasmine, peppermint and sandalwood are associated with heightened arousal. 

Lastly, when it comes to incorporating taste into sex, she suggests incorporating flavored lubes, edible body paints and aphrodisiac foods such as oysters, chocolates and strawberries into your routine.

And one bedroom tool Dr O’Reilly says is essential: lube, which can be used for ‘sensory mapping.’ 

She explains: ‘Lube can be more than just a practical tool – it’s an invitation to explore your partner’s body in new and exciting ways through pleasure mapping. 

‘This practice involves discovering areas of the body that bring the most pleasure when touched, kissed, or stimulated. 

‘By adding a few drops of lube, you can heighten sensations and transform even familiar areas into sources of unexpected pleasure.’ 

She suggests starting out by applying a small amount of lube to various areas of your partner’s body such as their neck, inner arms, lower back, or thighs. 

Then, you can follow on by ‘gently exploring each area using your hands, lips, or even a makeup brush, while observing their reactions.’

To make the process more ‘playful and exploratory,’ Dr O’Reilly says you can invite your partner to close their eyes so that they can ‘tune into the experience.’

Touching on the benefits of ‘sensory mapping,’ she concludes: ‘It is more than physical – it’s a way to deepen intimacy, understanding and connection. 

‘By combining touch with attentive listening to your partner’s responses, you create a shared journey of discovery, celebrating new pathways to pleasure and strengthening your bond.’

Switch up oral sex 

Two more of Dr O’Reilly’s sex tips for 2025 look at different methods of oral sex. 

Her first technique, called ‘the joystick,’ involves the receiver using their hands on the back of the giver’s head to move them around ‘like a joystick, directing the pace, rhythm, and intensity to align with their desires’.

To increase intimacy further, Dr O’Reilly advises maintaining eye contact when possible and for both parties to use ‘tantalizing verbal affirmations.’ 

Your browser does not support iframes.

Different sounds or words, she says, will allow the receiver to ‘communicate enthusiasm,’ while they can be used by the server to ‘reinforce their willingness to give pleasure.’

Dr O’Reilly predicts the other type of oral sex that will be on trend in 2025 is ‘irrumatio.’

She explains this is a variation where the receiver takes the lead, ‘guiding the motion as their penis enters their partner’s mouth at their preferred pace and depth.’

As this puts the receiver in control, she warns as with any intimate activity, ‘open communication about desires, limits, and boundaries is essential before engaging.’

In scenarios where verbal safe words may not be feasible she advises establishing non-verbal signals – such as snapping fingers or raising a hand – in advance. 

Go to the brink of pleasure 

Dr O’Reilly’s final top kink for the New Year is a sexual technique called ‘edging.’

Edging is the practice of stimulating yourself or your partner to the point of climax but stopping just before reaching orgasm, resulting in greater sexual pleasure. 

Along with feeling ‘localized intensity,’ Dr O’Reilly says this technique – which can be repeated multiple times – gives a ‘full-body wave of pleasure from prolonged stimulation.’

She adds: ‘In addition to intensified physical sensations, the emotional overwhelm of edging can take pleasure and connection to new heights. 

‘For couples, edging fosters communication, trust, and intimacy by encouraging mutual exploration and anticipation. It can also allow for extended states of arousal to amplify desire and deepening emotional vulnerability.’

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UNESCO-listed musical instrument stifled in Afghanistan
UNESCO-listed musical instrument stifled in Afghanistan

The UN agency UNESCO recognises the art of crafting and playing the rubab as intangible cultural heritage in Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Wood shavings littered the floor of Sakhi’s cramped workshop in the Afghan city of Herat as another rubab, the national musical instrument of his homeland, took shape under his deft hands.

Sakhi has crafted two rubabs a month for decades, and he refuses to set down his tools even as a Taliban crackdown strangles music in Afghanistan.

“I know only this work and I need to make money somehow,” said Sakhi, surrounded by rubabs in different stages of completion.

But far more important to him than money is the “cultural value”, said the craftsman in his fifties, whose name has been changed for his safety along with those of others interviewed by AFP.

“The value of this work for me is… the heritage it holds. The heritage must not be lost,” he said.

The UN agency UNESCO agrees, recognising in December the art of crafting and playing the rubab as intangible cultural heritage in Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Made of dried mulberry wood and often inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the lute-like rubab is one of the oldest instruments in the region, its twanging sound stretching back thousands of years.

But that heritage is threatened in Afghanistan under the Taliban authorities’ near-total ban on music, considered corrupting in their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Since coming to power in 2021, Taliban authorities have banned music in public, from performances to playing tracks in restaurants, in cars or on radio and TV broadcasts.

They have shuttered music schools and smashed or burned musical instruments and sound systems.

Many Afghan musicians fled out of fear or in need of work after losing their livelihoods in one of the world’s poorest countries where jobs are scarce.

The Taliban authorities have encouraged former musicians to turn their talents to Islamic poetry and unaccompanied vocal chants — also the only forms of music allowed under their previous rule from 1996-2001.

– ‘Peace to the soul’ –

Amateur rubab player Gull Agha has a picture of his teacher from that time, the pieces of his rubab broken by Taliban authorities cradled in his lap.

Since their return, Taliban morality police have also destroyed one of Gull Agha’s rubabs and made him swear to stop playing.

But he still sometimes strums a rubab he made himself for tourists visiting Herat, long a cradle of art and culture in Afghanistan, though he laments that it slips easily out of tune.

“The main thing that motivates me to continue playing the rubab is to make a contribution to Afghanistan — we should not let the skills of our country be forgotten,” he said.

Rubab is a string instrument made from dried mulberry wood from deserts

But as professional musicians went into exile and his former students saw no future in practising, he fears the craft will atrophy.

“It’s our duty to pass on our local music to the next generations as our ancestors passed it down to us,” said the 40-year-old.

“Rubab is an art… art brings peace to the soul.”

He started playing more than 20 years ago during a music revival in Afghanistan after the end of the previous Taliban rule.

At that time, organisations to support artists sprung up in the country.

Mohsen, a long-standing artists’ union member, choked back tears as he recalled how their musicians were always “a fixture of the happy moments in people’s lives”.

“Unfortunately, happiness has been taken from this nation as well as from the artists,” he said.

Mohsen is still optimistic about the future of the rubab in Afghanistan, saying musicians inside and outside the country have been spurred to keep its traditional music alive.

“People don’t play for money now, they play to bring joy to others and so the music survives,” he said.

“No force, no person, no system can silence its sound.”

– ‘Never lost’ –

Rubab player Majid was once a fixture of the many musical performances in the capital Kabul.

But he had not played the rubab for more than three years out of fear of being overheard, until one December afternoon when he picked up a rubab in a house near a street of now-shuttered music shops.

The lute-like rubab is one of the oldest instruments in the region but its heritage is threatened in Afghanistan under the Taliban authorities’ near-total ban on music

Smiling, he struck the strings but stopped abruptly as the courtyard door banged open, fearing it was Taliban forces.

The neck of his 35-year-old rubab was previously broken when morality police raided homes after the Taliban takeover.

He repaired it the best he could, and still regularly tends to his “dear rubab”, he said, gently running his hands over the instrument.

“As long as I live, I will keep it with me, and I hope my children will keep it… but no matter what, rubab culture will not be lost,” said the 46-year-old.

“Music is never lost. As they say, ‘There can never be a death without tears or a wedding without music’.”

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