John Whaite tearfully reveals truth about illegal steroid addiction that’s ‘messed with his life’
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Key Points
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- John Whaite has revealed his struggle with a five-year addiction to anabolic steroids, which he says has negatively impacted his life.
- The former Strictly star explained that he began using steroids due to body image issues that he was experiencing during lockdown.
- Whaite has urged young people to respect their bodies and avoid chasing unrealistic physique goals promoted on social media.
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John Whaite has opened up about his devastating addiction to anabolic steroids.
The 36-year-old star won the Great British Bake Off in 2012, and more recently reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.
In February, he joined OnlyFans, and has now opened up about his struggle with addiction and how his mental health has been impacted.
‘Steroid addiction – the truth,’ he posted alongside a tearful video on Instagram.
He wrote: ‘For the past 5 years I’ve let myself down, I haven’t respected my body or my mind, I’ve put body image before my own wellbeing and before time with my family.
‘Steroids have made me want to end my life. That stops today. Right now.
John Whaite has tearfully opened up about his struggle with steroid addiction (Picture: Instagram/@john_whaite)
He reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 with his pro partner Johannes Radebe (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
‘I hope that in sharing this harsh truth, young lads will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies.
‘Steroids have made me want to end my life. That stops now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.’
What are anabolic steroids?
According to the NHS, anabolic steroids ‘are prescription-only medicines that are sometimes taken without medical advice to increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance’.
The organisation notes that when used in this manner, they ‘can cause serious side effects and addiction’.
They ‘copy the effects of the male hormone testosterone’, and they are class C drugs, meaning they can ‘only be issued by pharmacists with a prescription’.
To find out more, click here.
In the emotional video, the former Strictly star told his followers that he was sharing his story for ‘accountability’ and ‘integrity’, as well as to help people avoid making the same mistakes.
‘I’ve been taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years now, and these things have really, really messed with my life,’ he said.
John, who has struggled with body dysmorphia and bulimia, started taking them during lockdown after looking in the mirror and ‘hating’ what he saw.
John rose to fame on Great British Bake Off (Picture: Love Productions/BBC/Toby Merritt)
His physique changed dramatically due to his steroid use (Picture: Instagram/john_whaite)
‘I tried working out, I tried dieting, I was really strict with myself and my diet, but nothing changed,’ he explained. ‘I couldn’t gain muscle, I had layers of fat I couldn’t get rid of. Looking back, there was nothing wrong with me. I had a normal body.’
He noted that he’s always ‘had the love and support of people who loved me for who I was, not for what I looked like’.
He noticed ‘aesthetic results’ after taking them, which in turn got him more TV work.
‘When I got the job for Strictly, because I was so muscular, my codename they had for me was Hercules,’ he admitted. ‘The more that people acknowledged how I looked on steroids, the more I felt good about myself.’
His physique earned him the ‘Hercules’ codename on Strictly Come Dancing (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
John opened up about the physical impact of years of steroid use, including small testicles, and an ‘irregulated sex drive’.
‘I don’t know if I would have done OnlyFans if it weren’t for the complete and utter, one, horniness that the steroids give you at times, but two, they also give you such an inflated ego, they give you such a narcissism,’ he added.
‘I guess my levels will crash, I’ll probably have to go and see a doctor at some point, I’ll probably have a very low mood, but I am tired of being tethered to this solution.’
He insisted that for now, he’s avoiding going to his GP, as he doesn’t want to feel like a ‘burden on the NHS’.
John wants to help other people avoid making the same mistakes he did (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
‘This decision that I made, just to look a certain way, has taken so much from me. I’m responsible for this; it was my choice,’ he said. ‘I’m not being a victim here. I’m a man and I have to deal with the consequences of my actions.’
However, John hopes to use his own story to make sure young boys, such as his 15-year-old nephew, don’t fall into the same traps by chasing ‘unrealistic’ goals on Instagram.
‘I am genuinely worried for young lads who are growing up and seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,’ he said.
‘It will ruin everything, believe me. It will take more than it gives you. You’ve only got one body, so please just respect it. Let it do what it can do.’
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