Singer-songwriter Alex Lloyd, best known for his 2001 hit 'Amazing', has shared his harrowing journey from childhood trauma to addiction in an episode of Australian Story. The episode, described as a tremendous act of bravery, reveals the struggles behind his disappearance from the public eye.
Lloyd, who sold over a million albums, opened up about the domestic violence his mother suffered, his mother's death from cancer when he was 16, and his subsequent retreat into food for comfort. After his rise to fame, he faced a plagiarism accusation over 'Amazing's lyrics, which was withdrawn but left him £300,000 out of pocket and forced him to relive childhood trauma.
His marriage collapsed, and he turned to binge drinking and comfort eating, reaching 168kg. Prescribed oxycodone for nerve pain, he became addicted. 'I had no idea what I was getting into on that drug,' he recalled. He now relies on buprenorphine, an opioid replacement, adding: 'I still have to take a little bit just to feel mentally OK. And that's pretty sad.'
Lloyd is now volunteering with children who have survived trauma. 'I'm just someone who's been through it,' he said. His first studio album in 12 years is due later this year. The episode is seen as a massive part of his healing, a reminder of how far celebrity culture has come since the 2000s.
