Lisa Riley, best known for her portrayal of Mandy Dingle on the ITV soap Emmerdale, has been supported by fans after sharing an update on her life. The 50-year-old actress took to Instagram to mark 11 years sober.
Emotional Instagram Post
Riley shared an AI-generated image of a cup of tea sat in front of a sunrise, with the words '11 years sober' printed on it. In the caption of her post, she emotionally penned: '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!!!!'
She continued: '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!! My life is mine - which frankly is full of love and fun - I’ve created a life that does not require numbness for survival.'
Support from Famous Friends
Some of Riley's famous friends were quick to support her, with fellow campmate Gemma Collins commenting with clapping emojis and a loveheart. Good Morning Britain's Ruth Langsford wrote: 'You're amazing,' as Loose Women star Denise Welch added: 'So proud of you xxx.'
Sobriety Journey Revealed on I'm A Celeb
While appearing in the All Stars version of I'm A Celeb, Riley opened up on her sobriety journey, revealing she would previously drink 'three bottles of Malbec a night'. Speaking to Jack Osbourne and Angry Ginge, the Emmerdale star said she 'could not cope' after her mother died, so she turned to wine which 'suffocated everything'.
Riley's mum, Cath, died in 2012 from pancreatic cancer. The actress later decided 'enough is enough' and decided to fly to New York to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, describing the experience as 'fascinating'. She said that she decided to seek treatment abroad to be away from the spotlight, where rumours about her journey wouldn't spread.
Ongoing Grief
Riley has previously spoken about her ongoing grief during an episode of the Grief Kind podcast. 'I feel like I'm being judged because of grief,' she explained. 'I've done so much to personally tackle it and get through it myself and also, of course, help my family, but fundamentally, it doesn't go away.' 'You learn to live with it and people say every day is different and everybody is different,' she said. 'It's okay to feel how you're feeling.'
