James Argent opened up about his battle with drug addiction, admitting, “I struggled with it for years.”
Former The Only Way Is Essex star James, 35, recalled difficult memories of his troubled past over the weekend, but insisted he was now clean, sober and in a much better place .
He told Nana Akua on UK News: ‘I struggled with this for several years. But I’m okay and I’m fine. I’m doing well. I’m clean, sober, and have been for a long time.
James also spoke candidly about his struggle with his increased weight during the coronavirus lockdown.
He underwent gastric sleeve surgery last year and has lost 14 stones since.
Candid talk: James Argent, 35, opened up about his battle with drug addiction, admitting: ‘I struggled for years’
Honest: The former TOWIE star, who has lost 14 stone in recent months, recalled difficult memories of his troubled past over the weekend but insists he is now in a much better place (pictured in 2021 )
He said: “I didn’t really have a very good routine and a very good structure and I was definitely using food to balance that out when I wanted comfort. Being locked up for me was not easy.
“You know, some people really got into working out and they were doing home workouts while others were really struggling.”
Revealing how his relationship with food has played out over the years, he continued, “I had a bad relationship with food. Either I didn’t exercise at all and ate excessively, or I starved myself and worked out three times a day.
“I was either morbidly obese or thin. I was constantly yo-yoing.
“I now have a great relationship with food and exercise and have found the right balance. I am proud of what I have accomplished.
Revealing how professional boxer Tyson Fury was his inspiration, he said: “Not all stories have to end in tragedy. Some people can turn things around.
“I was heavily inspired by Tyson Fury. He’s a friend of mine. He’s someone who struggled.
“He managed to change his life and become world champion. This is the ultimate comeback story. He is incredible.’
Top: He told Nana Akua (left) on GB News: ‘I struggled with this for several years. But I’m okay and I’m fine. I’m doing well’
James said he was enjoying his current job – working as a wedding singer with his band, The Arge Band.
He said, “I always wanted to be a wedding singer. If people ask me what I do now, I don’t say reality star, I say wedding singer.
James is now in a relationship with girlfriend Stella Turian, with whom he enjoyed a trip to Venice, Italy last month.
And he recently gushed about his new girlfriend Stella, 18, and revealed he had wooed her with mafia films in his home cinema.
The reality star also recalled how they “serenaded” each other when they first met by chance at a restaurant in Greece in June, before continuing a romantic relationship months later.
Talk to The sunhe confessed: “I feel very lucky, sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself that everything is really happening.”
As well as being genetically blessed, the beauty is fluent in four languages, while the TOWIE star works hard to improve her Italian.
Supportive friends: James, who works as a wedding singer with The Arge Band, credits professional boxer Tyson Fury (left) with inspiring him to lose weight
Arg also shared how he wooed his new girlfriend, revealing: “I’m lucky to have a home theater – there must be some perks to being in showbiz – and I’m obsessed with mob movies , so I made him watch Goodfellas and some Sopranos and Casino too.
The reality star – whose past issues are widely documented – insisted he had been completely candid with Stella about the “ups and downs” he had had.
He gushed: “We have an amazing connection, she’s extremely supportive and she knows everything there is to know about me.”
Arg met Stella by chance at a fancy restaurant called Nammos, while in Mykonos, Greece in June for a friend’s wedding,
He said they ‘serenaded each other’ as he recalled how he showed her clips of himself singing Rat Pack songs, while she showed him clips of her singing Italian love songs.
The pair then exchanged numbers, and Arg explained how after performing gigs they sent videos of themselves singing to each other, and added how Stella gave her mic skills “its stamp.” of approval”.
Romance: James is now in a relationship with his girlfriend Stella Turian, with whom he enjoyed a trip to Venice, Italy last month
Although they only met once in Mykonos, they then spent the summer messaging and FaceTiming.
Arg recalled how he finally worked up the courage to fly to Italy in September to see her and see if there was any romance to be had.
The TOWIE star admitted to being “incredibly nervous” for fear that when they meet again there will be no romantic bond.
But luckily, the second their eyes met again, he gushed about how they felt “an incredible bond” that continued to grow.
What it took to charm her: He recently gushed about his new girlfriend Stella, 18, and revealed he wooed her with mafia films in his home theater