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.’  

Lily AllenBen AffleckJennifer Garner

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