Fashion and beauty expert Trinny Woodall has courageously shared the harrowing details of her journey through drug addiction recovery, revealing that she lost six close friends during the first year of her sobriety.
A Lifelong Struggle With Addiction
The 61-year-old television personality first turned to alcohol and drugs at just 16 years old after moving from boarding school to a day school in London. Her substance use was deeply connected to battling chronic acne and what she describes as a profound lack of self-confidence during her formative years.
After several unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation in her early twenties, Woodall finally entered a programme at age 26 that provided the foundation for her recovery. She has now maintained her sobriety for over three decades, marking a remarkable personal victory.
Tragedy Strikes During Early Recovery
However, Woodall's treatment and early recovery were marred by immense personal tragedy. In a recent cover interview with Women's Health UK, she disclosed that six of her friends died within that first critical year of her sobriety.
She expressed profound gratitude for her own survival, stating: 'I felt relieved to be alive. I had six friends die in my first year of recovery. There wasn't an "I'm on the back foot" moment – it was simply "I have another chance."'
The entrepreneur, best known for the popular BBC series What Not To Wear with Susannah Constantine, explained that she doesn't concern herself with potential judgment about her past. She firmly believes that these challenging experiences shaped the woman she is today.
The Pact That Changed Everything
Woodall provided even deeper insight into this tragic period during an appearance on Steven Bartlett's Diary Of A CEO podcast in 2023. She recalled making a pact with three close friends one night while they were using drugs together, agreeing they would all enter rehabilitation the following day.
The morning after their agreement, Woodall woke up with rare determination and contacted a therapist she knew, insisting she needed immediate placement within hours before she changed her mind. She sold her possessions to pay for a five-month residential treatment programme.
Tragically, during her time in rehab, one of the friends from their pact died. After completing treatment, Woodall moved to a halfway house in Weston-super-Mare for seven months, where she worked in an old people's home while living on just £8-10 per week.
She returned to London as a completely transformed person, only to experience further heartbreak as the remaining friends from their group all passed away within the following years.
Finding Strength in Tragedy
Woodall revealed that these devastating losses became one of her strongest motivations to maintain her sobriety during those fragile early years. She told The Times: 'Four of my closest friends died of overdoses within a year and a half of my stopping drugs. Many things would make me not go back to drugs, but that was a very strong thing for me early on.'
Reflecting on her difficult journey, Woodall acknowledged that her twenties were defined by drug use stemming from deep insecurity about her identity. Getting clean at 26-27 marked what she describes as the true beginning of change in her life, both personally and professionally.
She described her relief at leaving her twenties behind, calling it a 'big moment' that allowed her to finally work out who she truly was without substance dependency.
The full interview with Trinny Woodall appears in the December issue of Women's Health UK, which is currently on sale.
