Comedian Kevin Bishop has announced that he and his wife have parted ways after almost two decades of being married following his decision to go sober
Kevin Bishop has split from his wife of almost two decades.
The comedian has also revealed that he is an alcoholic but has been sober for six years after his drinking hit new lows. Kevin, known for playing Nigel Normal Fletcher in 2016 reboot of Porridge has opened up about his struggles and reveals that despite turning his back on booze, it’s had a detrimental impact on his life.
In a candid admission, Kevin, 44, revealed that should he drink alcohol he would “go on the missing list”, even if he went for a simple pint with a fellow actor. This prompted the former Grange Hill star to transform his life and turn his back on his demons. However, in the midst of getting sober, it also saw the breakdown of his marriage to his wife Casta, who he married in 2006, but had been with since the age of 20.
“I’m an alcoholic,” Kevin bravely said. He went on to add: “I’ve got an allergy to alcohol so whenever I drink, I have a phenomenon of craving that kicks in and I can’t stop. If I went for a pint with an actor in Covent Garden, I would then go on the missing list.”
Kevin and Casta, who he shares two children with, split shortly after he made the decision to go sober. He also alleges that Casta was also dismissive of his decision to pack in the booze. Speaking on the We’re Not Getting Any Younger podcast, the star commented: “I managed to do five years of complete sobriety, and I loved my life, and then my wife missed her drinking buddy and encouraged me to drink again, she said I wasn’t an alcoholic.
“Then within 21 months everything fell apart.” He went on to add that “the person” who his now ex-wife had met had completely changed and is now a “different person.” Despite his heartache, Kevin admits he’s now in a much happier place. During his appearance on the podcast alongside Lisa Snowden, he revelead that when moving to Los Angeles, he headed to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Prior to their split, Kevin and Casta moved their lives to LA with their daughters when he starred alongside Rebel Wilson in her series, Super Fun Night. “I was happy to stay in LA, but my wife, who I’ve been with since the age of 20, is a lot wiser than me,” he told The Telegraph in 2016. He went on to add: “She said, ‘These are our children’s formative years and this place is nuts. We’re going back to Brighton.’ I resented it at the time, but looking back she was right. How can you stay in a place where a waiter once described our baby’s skin as ‘Beautiful! so hydrated!!’ Or where two-year-olds go to Disney Princess Make Over Parties and have their eyebrows done and their toenails painted. The end result of that is, well, the Kardashians.”
The Mirror has approached Kevin’s spokesperson.
If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found at alcoholchange.org.uk
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