Emmerdale legend Lisa Riley has been flooded with messages of love and support as she told fans she 'feels so free' while marking her latest sobriety milestone. The actress, from Bury, is famed for playing Mandy Dingle in the Leeds-based ITV soap. Outside of her life in the Dales, Lisa has spoken openly about her battle with alcohol and previously explained her decision to go sober.
Lisa Riley on her alcohol battle
Lisa said: "I was self-medicated I know that with alcohol. I wasn't sleeping because I'd lost my mum and I wasn't coping very well. You know getting up early for work, you have to go to bed because you're going knackered.
"A bottle and a half, two bottles helped me completely in those times and it was just a game I played with myself. I'm going to try and get through a christening, I'm going to try and get through Christmas without it and all of a sudden you become obsessed with the fact I can say I can say 'nine years ago'.
"Back then it was 'I've done three months, I've done four months' and that becomes the obsession or the addiction the drink had on me. I never thought that I'd be here now but I love it. The fake of me has completely gone and I don't ever want to have that back and it's a better place to be."
Marking 11 years sober
It was on Wednesday (August 19) that Lisa, who was awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours this year ahead of her 50th birthday, which she celebrated in July, marked 11 years since she quit alcohol. Marking the personal milestone on Instagram, the soap star shared: "A day to be incredibly proud- 11 years sober today. To feel so free. Honestly, truly, now I’ve escaped from anything that destroyed being the truest me!!!! Each and every day, I live life to the fullest, never wasting one minute, and certainly not wasting a second in a fog of fake!"
She added: "My life is mine, which frankly is full of love and fun-I’ve created a life that does not require numbness for survival #sober #soberliving #fyp #proud #today," before the messages came flooding in.
Flood of support from celebrities
James Corden said: "So Proud of you!" Ruth Langsford commented: "You’re amazing!" Denise Welch replied: "So proud of you." Emmerdale co-star Karen Blick shared: "Amazing darling," while Kevin Mathurin wrote: "Congratulations babe." @susannahcaroline_ also shared: "Congratulations Lisa! I’m just one month behind you!" @2smileyeyes posted: "Wow what an achievement!! Congratulations Lisa!!" @ferguson.caroline added: "This is so impressive. Well done @lisajaneriley and don’t ever change."
