Joe Wicks has opened up about his childhood agony of watching his father succumb to heroin addiction.
The 33-year-old fitness expert, and national PE treasure, says he struggled with his emotions and anger growing up as he had to watch the effects of his father’s addiction to the class A drug.
Speaking about his childhood and his father, roofer Gary, Joe emotionally recounts the anger he felt towards his dad while growing up during a candid discussion on Desert Island Discs.
Joe has since formed a close relationship with his father – who is now living drugs free – but says it was a different story when he was a child.
He says: “I remember being in secondary school and I just remember somebody said something about my dad and I was just so angry, because again he’d relapsed.
“I was disappointed and let down. I can just remember thinking I don’t want to talk about my dad. I hate him.”
He continues: “I didn’t hate my dad. I just hated what drugs were doing to him, doing to my family. It was an angry thought and I suppose I let it out and I felt instantly bad. I remember just thinking what a horrible thing to say about your dad.”
Joe goes on to say he never witnessed his father using drugs first hand, but says the effects of his addiction were clearly unavoidable.
He explains that he struggled to understand why his father wasn’t there for him, and found himself struggle to deal with his own anger.
The star offers a positive update after his father found help through Narcotics Anonymous – while Joe used meditation to cope with his own anger.
He says: “Now I love my dad. I’ve had that anger and that’s completely passed. The antidote to addiction is connection and love, that’s what I’ve learned.”
Joe has won his way into the hearts of millions in recent months after offering free week day PE classes via YouTube during coronavirus lockdown.
The fitness fanatic – also known as The Body Coach – has been getting the nation moving and has been tipped for government roles and royal awards after his work raised tens of thousands for the NHS.
