‘I miss that fuzzy feeling’: NI presenter Dean McCullough opens up about five years of sobriety

The Co Antrim I’m a Celebrity star wrote in the iPaper that he has been sober for five years.

But the 33-year-old said drinking helped him cope. “I miss being able to shake off a stressful day by sinking a bottle of dry white wine,” he said.

“I miss that fuzzy feeling when your muscles start to relax about half a bottle in,” he added.

The radio presenter said that his drinking increased as he earned more opportunities through his work.

“I somehow managed to hold jobs down and began to carve out a career in presenting.

“God knows how – I guess you could say I was a “functioning” party animal,” he said.

“But inside my soul was being poisoned as I abused my body week after week after week for five years.”

Dean decided to stop drinking to go backpacking across Asia.

“I took a pause when I packed my bags and went travelling around Asia for the best part of a year,” he said.

But after returning back to England he started drinking again.

“11 months later when I returned to the UK and moved to Manchester I put my hand into the fire of drugs and alcohol once more – just to make sure it still burned,” he said.

Dean McCullough attends the TRIC Awards 2025 at Grosvenor House on June 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

In May 2018, Dean began presenting with Emma Goswell on Gaydio, they continued to present the show through the pandemic.

“I’d drank almost every day during the pandemic while still getting up every morning at 5am to host a national breakfast show on the radio.

“It was bleak times. I was using drugs and alcohol to deal with the stress, isolation and pain,” he said.

Dean then decided to stop drinking.

“I went sober on the 1 September 2020, it was only meant to be for one month,” he said.

In December 2020, Dean filled in for Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 for two days and gradually worked his way up to being a regular on the station.

In July 2022, it was announced that Dean and Vicky Hawkesworth would replace Scott Mills and Chris Stark as co-hosts of Radio 1’s afternoon show, from 1pm until 3.30 pm.

Through all this, Dean has remained sober but said he looks back on some of his drunken adventures fondly.

“Not enough teetotallers speak about how much they loved their old life because not many of them actually do and I understand that.

“But I did. I can be an advocate for sobriety and still tell you that I had a bloody good time boozing.

“My life has been colourful – but I’m living in technicolour now and I wouldn’t change that either,” he said.

Dean McCullough at the 2023 Sunday Life Spirit awards at the Culloden Hotel in Hollywood. Picture: Stephen Hamilton

News Catch Up – Monday 17 November

Dean said he is proud of his journey to sobriety.

“I’m living proof that you can turn your life around at any time.

“Alcohol had stopped serving me, I was physically ill from what I had put my mind, body and soul through.

“I still lie awake at night processing some of the dangerous situations I got myself into but I refuse to regret them,” he said.