Ulrika Jonsson reveals the harrowing phone call she received as her drinking spiralled out of control in emotional chat

Ulrika Jonsson has revealed the harrowing phone call she got when her drinking spiralled out of control. 

Speaking in an emotional chat on Tuesday, the presenter, 58, recalled a tough conversation she had with her best friend at the peak of her alcohol struggles. 

She said that although the conversation was 'so shaming' it was the moment that she knew something needed to change.  

Joining Spencer Matthews on his podcast UNTAPPED, she began: 'It was awful. My best friend phoned me on a Saturday morning. 

'She said, "I need to speak to you because I spoke to you at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and I could understand a f***ing word you said. You have a problem and I can't help you."

'I was crying my eyes out because there was no way of avoiding it. She said, "this is coming from a place of love, but you need help."' 

Ulrika continued: 'I still didn't stop drinking, I had to drink on that conversation because that was so shaming. It was awful. 

'I knew that she knew that I had a problem too. And I was said, "I can't do this anymore."' 

The TV presenter credits the shocking admission from June 2024 for saving her life and rescuing her from the depths of addiction. 

Ulrika previously opened up about her journey to sobriety in a powerful open letter, revealing that she has now been alcohol-free for over a year and it has transformed her life in ways she never imagined.

She wrote in The Sun: 'It was a hangover day, much like any other, really. I sat on the sofa with my liver and brain pickled in equal measure, wrapped up in the blanket of shame, and something made me reach out for help.'

The star, described herself as a 'binge drinker who drank to black out,' and detailed how her addiction crept in slowly. 

Although she didn't drink daily, lose her job, children, or end up in prison or get arrested, the toll it took was significant. 

Ulrika admitted to drinking for the wrong reasons - to numb her 'crippling anxiety, to escape, to disappear and extinguish my self-loathing'.

She also spoke openly about the shame and secrecy that surrounded her behaviour. 

From drinking neat rum in a cupboard at 11am to waking up with no memory of the night before, she revealed that her drinking quickly spiralled out of control, but remained hidden behind a polished exterior. 

Despite having a 'quite unremarkable' drinking history on paper, Ulrika revealed the emotional damage was profound. 

'Alcoholics come in all shapes and sizes and many live among us in plain sight,' she wrote, adding that her family history made her vulnerable. 

'I wasn't cut out for life,' she confessed, recalling how alcohol became her coping mechanism. 'I wanted the full anaesthetic effect… I just wanted the feelings to stop.'

Since giving up alcohol, Ulrika says she has learned more about herself in the past year than in the previous five decades and added how she has had a 'spiritual awakening' and found an 'inner peace'.

While family and friends have celebrated the milestone, with her daughter even offering to take her out for a meal, Ulrika admitted the lead-up to her one-year anniversary was filled with anxiety. 

She now lives one day at a time and accepts that recovery is a lifelong journey. 

It comes after Ulrika marked one year sober, sharing an emotional Instagram post about the milestone on Thursday.

The TV star shared before and after photos, captioned 'sober' and 'drunk' as she told her 204k followers that 'the journey goes on.' 

'Today I'm marking 1yr of sobriety,' Ulrika wrote. 'No fanfare, no medal, no trophy. The journey goes on.

'A huge thanks to all those beautiful people who have supported me; understood me; scooped me up and handled me tenderly and without judgement; who nudged me in the right direction; who made me laugh and helped me shed the crippling shame.'

She paid tribute to her four children Cameron, 30, Bo, 25, Martha, 20, and Malcolm, 16, and apologised for the concern she has caused them over the years: 'Thank you to my kids for their support; for having faith in me after I must have worried them so.'

'For close friends for their patience and belief. My sobriety will continue to be my priority. Turns out it IS possible to teach old dogs new tricks.

Alongside the before and after snaps, Ulrika shared a childhood photo of herself as well a poignant reminder of 'this day last year'.