Caerphilly-born TV presenter Matt Johnson has admitted to drinking up to two bottles of whisky a day during his battle with depression.
The 30-year-old This Morning presenter spoke candidly on the ITV show to raise awareness of mental health.
He told fellow presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langford that he wanted to “smash the stigma [of mental health] to bits”.
He said: “Mental health is such a big spectrum of different illnesses and for me it was a case of, in my 20s before This Morning, I was depressed and I was very down and I let things get out of control.”
“I was in an accident in my early 20s when I shattered my cheekbone, my jaw and my nose. It was quite a worrying experience for me. I was scared for the first time in my life. I thought I was invincible.”
Johnson, a former pupils of St Cenydd School, said the accident triggered a lowering of self-esteem which then spiralled downward and led to a loss of work.
He even admitted that his illness was a major factor in the breakdown of his relationship with BBC presenter Alex Jones.
He said: “We were together for nearly six years and for four years I was in the midst of this horrible dark cloud and it put pressure on us a lot of the time.”
He added: “It spiralled out of control to the point where we did break-up and that’s where I got worse.
“I turned to booze, alcohol, and I’d drink a hell of an amount. I’d drink a couple of bottles of whisky a day.”
The star said that he did not realise that he was suffering from depression at the time.
He told viewers: “I knew I was going through a tough time, but I just thought ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this’.
“I lost myself and lost all forms of identity. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. I knew what I wanted to do but I thought it was impossible. It snowballs and you have a million problems on top of you.”
Johnson has opened up in order to help raise money and awareness for mental health charity Mind, and said he hoped that his story could help others.
“I feel better for talking about it and talking is the way forward,” he said.
Individuals who are affected by mental health issues can contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 or visit www.mind.org.uk.