Scot Squad funnyman Darren Connell consumed nothing but tree bark in the Amazonian rainforest in a desperate bid to beat depression.
The 32-year-old’s extreme detox in Peru wasn’t enough to shift excess weight and “a dark cloud” over his head.
But it “planted the seed” for Darren, from Springburn, Glasgow, and led to him becoming vegan earlier this year.
The comic has since lost more than three stones, dropped eight inches off his waist and slimmed from XXXL to XL in shirts.
Darren insists this is just the beginning. He said: “I’ve got a long way to go. I’m still that chubby guy from Springburn. But I’m happier than ever before.”
In 2017, Darren was filming Scot Sqaud’s fourth series, playing lovable dafty Bobby.
The show was fast becoming one of the jewels in BBC Scotland’s crown. His stand-up shows were also receiving rave reviews.
During that time, Darren’s weight ballooned to 20st, while mentally, he plummeted to an all-time low.
He said: “I was playing a funny character on TV and did stand-up to make people laugh.
“Deep down, I was in an incredibly dark place. But I was on anti-depressants and was the heaviest I’d ever been.”
Before panto that winter, Darren heard about a detox programme in Peru. Little did he know it would change his life.
Darren said: “I was in a treehouse in the middle of the jungle with just a bed, notepad, pen and lamp.
“We took two shots of Ayahuasca a day, which is a brew made up of tree bark. It was horrific, I was purging all day.
“They said that was part of the process, you’re getting rid of everything, mentally and physically.”
The diet was a stark change from his days in Springburn. He said: “In one daym I would drink two litres of Diet Irn-Bru and three bottles of Lucozade.
“I’d eat two filled rolls for breakfast and Greggs for lunch.
“Most nights, it would be fast food. Coming off all that was like a come down.”
Back in Scotland, Darren was nowhere near “cured” but over time, got closer to his goal.
He said: “Since cutting out alcohol, I’d toyed with the idea of vegetarianism.
One night, I watched a programme, Earthlings, about the dark side of the meat industry. I’ve been vegan since February and I feel like a new person.” He added: “I’m not wanting to be one of those preachy vegans.
“I have no issue with people eating meat but this is what works for me.
“Cutting out meat, alcohol and sugar and going to the gym has lifted me out of the depths of depression. My friends laugh when I tell them it’s a kind of euphoria but it’s true. I’ll never go back to the way I was.”
Darren’s show Abandon All Hope plays East Kilbride village Theatre in October. Tickets from www.sllcboxoffice.co.uk
