Iain Lee, the comedian who finished third on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2017, has claimed the stress of the show contributed to his drug relapse after 13 years of sobriety. The 52-year-old told the Daily Star that while he entered the jungle clean, the pressure of the programme and 'toxic' campmates led him to use drugs again.
Lee specifically named former boxer Amir Khan, Rebekah Vardy and Dennis Wise as the campmates he found most difficult. However, he took full responsibility for his relapse, stating: 'I went in 13 years clean, but not long after coming out, the stress of the show got to me. I was in there with a bunch of a*******s, not blaming them it's my fault. I picked up again, it was totally on me.'
The former TV presenter had already stopped attending Narcotics Anonymous after 11 years before entering the jungle, admitting he had 'already set the wheels in motion' regarding his addiction. Lee also reflected on his career, telling The Guardian he was responsible for its collapse due to his drug use, describing himself as 'unreliable and obnoxious to work with'.
Lee's relapse after I'm A Celebrity was not his only setback. In 2020, he marked 30 days sober after relapsing despite being two years clean. He told listeners on his show The Late Night Alternative that he had taken drugs, though not his drug of choice, and it made him feel 'awful'.
Despite these challenges, Lee proudly stated he will be five years sober at the end of this month, expressing a commitment to his recovery.
