Melanie Sykes has shared her joy at finally getting to meet comedian Russell Brand, who she credits with helping her through sobriety and depression. The 52-year-old TV and radio presenter from Mossley says the comic, who has also been open about his sobriety journey, says he has helped her with his Instagram posts and books.
The mum-of-two shared a photo of the pair sharing an embrace as she met Russell, who celebrated 19 years clean and sober in December, at his show at Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex. She wrote about the moment on her social media: "Last night I finally got to meet and say thank you to this magnificent person who has helped me with his messaging, on here and everywhere for many years."
The former Boddingtons girl and Big Breakfast presenter previously branded alcohol 'toxic bull****'. In May she celebrated five years sober.
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She explained: "His books helped me through the beginning of my sobriety and through the depths of depression. He has always spoken my language, with regard to his thoughts of the world and his take on simply being human.
"Oh and he makes me laugh like no other. I am grateful and full of admiration for him. In short I love him. #russellbrand @becktheatre #gratitude."
Melanie, who last year was diagnosed with autism which affects the way people with the condition communicate and interact, marked the fifth anniversary of her sobriety on May 1. She told her followers in a raw and honest Instagram video: "It's a massive achievement for me. And it's been a really interesting journey."
She told how she had previously had a spell of seven years sober and then 18 months 'here and there'. But now she has a greater understanding of herself after discovering that she's autistic, the same condition that her youngest son Valentino was diagnosed with when he was three.
"I remember the day I decided. It wasn't like I found myself in a ditch. It was something else, something more profound about me," she recalled.
"It was something where I thought 'you've got stop feeling like this. I was sick of feeling like s*** and beating myself up and feeling regret. Drinking would take the edge of all these things and then I would drink too much and do things and say things I wouldn't have done if I was sober."
Speaking about living with autism she said: "It's a such a positive diagnosis for me because it makes sense of my life. There's a sense of relief about it but also a sense of mourning because I wish I'd have know sooner."
Melanie shot to fame as the face of the Boddingtons adverts in the 90s when it was then known as the 'Cream of Manchester.' The model famously popped her head out of an ice cream van in one of the ads with a pint of bitter instead of a cone to say “do you want a flake in that love?”
She was also known for asking Tarquil "are your trollies on't right way round?" In 2014 Melanie came third on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!
In 2020 she shared some inspiring words as she reached three years of sobriety. And she added: "For those asking, no I don’t miss it because it’s toxic b*******!"
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