Joe Wicks opens up on father’s heroin addiction in emotional interview with Russell Brand
Joe Wicks has revealed how his father’s struggle with heroin addiction shaped his childhood.
The fitness star, 33, told Russell Brand that he “steered clear” of drugs as a youngster after seeing the damage his father Gary’s addiction had on family life.
Speaking on Brand’s Under The Skin podcast, Wicks said: “Because of my dad’s addiction, and the damage I saw that cause, me and [older brother] Nikki steered clear of it.
“We weren’t smoking weed, we were training, exercising and playing sport.
“Along the line, I decided that wasn’t going to be my destiny - that wasn’t going to be my path.”
Wicks, also known as The Body Coach, told Brand how his father was in and out of rehab during his childhood.
He said that he does not “judge” his father and now has a strong relationship with him, offering him support during difficult periods
“Now, when my dad’s going through a low period, I’m texting him and ringing him and asking how he is - I’m not judging him for being an addict,” he told Brand.
“I don’t look back at the past. I don’t judge my dad and think, ‘I had a really rough upbringing and it was terrible.’ I just love him right now.
“I think, ‘Am I happy right now?’ That’s a beautiful thought.”
Wicks shares one-year-old daughter Indie and three-month-old son Marley with wife Rosie Jones and is currently broadcasting daily PE sessions for children on YouTube following the closure of schools across the country due to the coronavirus crisis.
He confirmed last week that he has so far generated around £80,000 in revenue from the videos, which he plans to donate in full to the NHS.
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