The Unashamed Alcoholic

The Unashamed Alcoholic re-presents: a conversation on sobriety with actor Jason Ritter!Support the show

The Unashamed Alcoholic podcast re-presents: a conversation with Tom Hills, a local Ottawa comedian who sadly passed in 2024. I fondly remember our interview and his candor around sobriety. Rest in Peace, Tom.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Jason Ritter.Jason is an American actor and producer who was recently on a talk show discussing his sobriety. I heard him use the word alcoholism and what prompted him getting sober and what he eventually realized came from sobriety.  I loved the open use of the word alcoholism and his reflections.I loved this conversation with Jason. We touched on so many points: justifying drinking. not thinking you have a problem, why sobriety so much more than just not drinking and what the best thing has been to happen to him since getting sober.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jason.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Ottawa-area stand-up comedian Tom Hills.I saw Tom perform at Yuk Yuk's in Ottawa over the summer and he mentioned being sober. I was so happy to see someone openly talk about their sobriety and not turn it into a bad joke. I loved this conversation with Tom and could have kept talking for hours!I hope you enjoy my conversation with TomSupport the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Ottawa-area stand-up comedian Wafik Nasralla.I have seen Waf perform at Yuk Yuks several times now and he is always open about being sober. He makes it funny and is very honest about it. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Waf and hope to do it again!I hope you enjoy my conversation with Waf.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is stand-up comedian Logan Brown.I was at Yuk Yuk's in Ottawa a few weeks ago and Logan was doing his stand-up. When he mentioned being sober, I knew I wanted to chat with him. I wanted to hear his story about getting sober so young and what it's been like talking about it on stage.I hope you enjoy my conversation with LoganSupport the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is actor, musician and comedian Rivkah Reyes who you might remember from School of Rock. Rivkah is very open about her story of sobriety and how it's impacted her life. I was curious about when Rivkah knew she had a problem, how addiction impacts her life, and how she's changed in sobriety.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Rivkah.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is former NFL running back, Alex Green. Alex played professional football for the New York Jets, the Green Bay Packers and in the CFL, the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Alex is very open about his early recovery and shares online how sobriety has changed his life. I was interested in chatting with Alex about why he went public, his emotional and incredible story of rock bottom, and how his career as an athlete impacted his journey.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Alex.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is actress and comedian Cait Madry. Cait has her own podcast called Clearheaded where she dives into topics around sobriety and recovery and living a sober life. I knew Cait and I would have a lot in common given we both are keen to share our stories and the benefits of living sober. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Cait.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is writer and stand-up comic, Ginny Hogan.I came across Ginny on twitter, well more specifically, some of her stand-up material where she pokes fun at her old self in her drinking days. I loved this and knew I wanted to connect with her.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ginny.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Laura Eamon.Many people sent me Laura's story on CBC.ca when it came out, saying she'd be a great guest- they were right, she was lovely! Laura quit university due to an alcohol problem and once sober, landed a scholarship. It's a beautiful and inspiring story of recovery that everyone will be encouraged by. Here is her story and I hope you enjoy our conversation.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is former NHL player David Shand.  Drafted in 1976 by both the Atlanta Flames of the National Hockey League and the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association, Shand also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.After hockey, Shand pursued a career in law, which eventually helped him find his path to recovery from addiction and lead him to his greatest legacy of an educator and spokesperson for alcoholics and addicts. I hope you enjoy my conversation with DavidSupport the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Kevin Chief.I connected with Kevin online after someone shared an article on him that appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. Kevin was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2011 election and is the co-founder of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre. Kevin has a truly inspiring story of addiction and recovery, and he explains what brought him to publicly sharing it.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kevin.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Dave Manheim, a fellow podcaster and host of Dopey, an American self-help and comedy podcast about personal experiences of substance use disorders and addiction. Dave is in recovery himself with a wonderful story of addiction to sobriety. I was curious about Dave's personal story as well as what advice he would offer me as someone who also speaks with well known sober people.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dave.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Brian Cuban.Brian is an attorney, author, speaker, and activist. He is an authority on male eating disorders and drug addiction, drug rehabilitation, and alcoholism. He's also the brother of Mark Cuban.  I connected with Brian online and found his story fascinating, heartbreaking and chock full of resilience. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brian.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/UnashamedAlc)

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Canadian actor, writer, translator, and voice artist Nancy Kenny.Someone who'd interviewed me for their radio show connected me with Nancy, noting she'd just celebrated a sobriety milestone. I reached out to Nancy and was thrilled she agreed to chat. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Nancy.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Holly Randall, an erotic photographer, director, producer, and a podcast host. In 2013, she was named one of the most influential women in the adult industry by AVN magazine. I wanted to learn about Holly's road to recovery, how she handled a relapse and how her industry addresses sobriety.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Holly.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is former NHL player Mark Parrish Mark played 11 seasons and over 700 games in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres. We connected online when a story from The Athletic came out on his journey to sobriety. It was heart-wrenching to read and his story immediately resonated with me.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mark.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Dr. Ashley Perkins.Ashley Perkins, Pharm.D., is a mental health advocate with a background as a pharmacist and educator.  At the beginning of 2020, she started the process of forming We Matter Too, Inc. which focuses on helping those with mental health issues and mental disorders through first-person narratives of experience. We Matter Too, Inc. is an organization with the idea that those experiences can be the best support for others who are struggling with their own mental health and are seeking information.I connected with Ashley online and we were drawn to each other in terms of cheering each other on.  I was so happy to finally connect with Ashley to hear her story of sobriety.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ashley.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is music consultant Chad Richardson.Chad, originally from Newfoundland, Canada, has been in the music industry for years. We connected on twitter a while back but recently got to talking about the label "alcoholic" and he agreed to come on the podcast. What followed was probably the most emotional interview I have done to date. I am so proud of Chad for opening up to me and sharing such genuine and heartfelt moments with me. I am really grateful he decided to come on this podcast and I know that his story will resonate with many people.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Chad.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Dylan Black, DJ on Boom 99.7Dylan has been broadcasting on Ottawa's airwaves since 1999 and is extremely active in the community, hosting and participating in many charity events and fundraisers. Dylan has always been a huge supporter of me and the podcast, giving me on-air shout-outs since I launched the podcast.Dylan and I got to talking and he revealed rarely drinks and has an understanding of addiction in the family. I thought the perspective of a man who doesn't often drink would be of interest to many listeners. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dylan.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University Benoit-Antoine Bacon.Dr. Bacon is open about his own lived experience and advocates for open conversations about mental health and substance use. These efforts have been recognized with a Transformational Leader Inspiration Award from the Royal Ottawa Hospital, and the Honorary Presidency of the Canadian Psychological Association.I wanted to hear about his decision to share his story, and what it was like doing so in the world of academia.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Bacon.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is author Jessica Lahey.A best-selling author, Jessica Lahey grew up surrounded by alcoholism and like many of us, it wasn't openly spoken about. Now 8 years sober herself, she wrote The Addiction Inoculation, a comprehensive resource parents and educators can use to prevent substance abuse in children. As an alcoholic and parent, I read this book cover to cover and highly recommend it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jessica.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Doug Hempstead. If you live anywhere close to Ottawa, ON, chances are, you've heard Doug on the radio as CBC Ottawa's Traffic Specialist. What you may not be as familiar with is Doug's own story of sobriety.I saw Doug post on Twitter a few months back that he was sober and the benefits he'd noticed already. His post got a lot of attention and support and I wanted to chat with him to learn about why he stopped drinking, what language he uses and how he sees life in sobriety now.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Doug.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Captain Robert Piché.On August 24, 2001, Captain Piché was pilot of the Airbus A330 flying Air Transat Flight 236 and managed to land the aircraft safely in the Azores after it lost all power due to fuel exhaustion. This remains a record glide length for a commercial aircraft.His story is depicted in the 2010 film Piché: The Landing of a Man (Piché: Entre ciel et terre).After he was thrust into the spotlight, something else came to light for Captain Piché: his drinking.I wanted to learn about how he knew he had a problem, what life is like now and if people recognize him more for his life-saving piloting or his openness around addiction.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Captain PichéSupport the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Ryan Hampton.Ryan is an advocate, speaker, author, and media commentator. In recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Hampton has rocketed to the center of America's rising addiction recovery advocacy movement. An alumnus of the Clinton White House, he's worked with multiple non-profits and national recovery advocacy campaigns. He is now a prominent, leading face and voice of recovery advocacy and is changing the national conversation about addiction.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ryan.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is actress Mimi Kennedy.You have probably seen at least one thing in which Mimi has starred, like "Dharma & Greg" or "Mom". It was watching her play Marjorie on "Mom" that brought me to this interview. As many in recovery know, the tv show Mom centered around a group of women, all who shared the common bond of addiction. Mom was the first show that I saw that was a comedy and talked openly about AA. When I first got sober and started watching, I couldn't believe they could have success talking about such a stigmatized subject! But it was on for 8 seasons and a very popular show.Mimi herself isn't in recovery, but her character Marjorie was and not only that, was the sponsor of many people's dreams. She had so much wisdom and offered comfort in recovery. I wanted to talk to Mimi about how she prepared to play Marjorie and what it's taught her since.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mimi.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is chef Andrew Zimmern.Andrew is an American culinary expert, chef, restaurateur, television personality, radio personality, director, producer, entrepreneur, food critic, journalist, teacher, and author. He also has an unbelievable story of drug addiction and alcoholism and subsequent story of recovery.  At the end of his addiction the Travel Channel star ended up homeless and squatting in an abandoned building in lower Manhattan and stealing to pay for his drug habit. Today he is almost 30 years sober and he is very outspoken about his story in the hopes of helping others.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Andrew.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guests are Jason and Mikey from one of my favourite podcasts, Knockin' Doorz Down.The KDD Podcast features celebrities and people from all walks of life who have experienced challenging times in their lives and how they were able to break through and live a purposeful life inspiring others to be their best selves. They have interviewed Charlie Sheen, Kelly Osbourne, AJ McLean and many more!Find their podcast hereWe actually did an interview exchange, so visit their site to find an interview I did with them as well!I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jason and Mikey.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Ann Dowsett Johnston. Ann is the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, named one of the top 10 books of 2013 by the Washington Post. An award-winning journalist with more than 40 years of experience, she has also been a vice-principal of McGill University. Ann is a practicing psychotherapist, a Focusing-oriented trainer and the founder of Writing Your Recovery, a memoir-writing course.I read Drink when I was trying to get sober and I was fascinated by the connections outlined between women and alcohol.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ann.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Senator Patrick Brazeau. Senator Brazeau is and was the youngest member of the Senate of Canada. Senator Brazeau was in the headlines over the last few years for different reasons, however- legal and addiction related.When I came across Senator Brazeau on Twitter, I noticed that he spoke proudly of his recovery and sobriety and I wanted to speak to him directly about this and his experiences over the  last few years.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Senator Brazeau.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic episode is a very special one. Anyone who has followed my story knows that NHL player Bobby Ryan played a huge role in me coming forward publicly with my alcoholism which then sparked the idea for a podcast.Since the outset of the podcast, I've wanted to connect with Bobby- first as a guest, and later just to ensure he knew of his role in my story. Well, after months of trying, I finally reached him a few weeks ago and had a private conversation with him today.While this isn't an interview with him as he prefers not to do that, this is a story of how my story has come full circle. And it's about how I was able to thank someone whose story meant so much to mine.I hope you enjoy this episode.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Real Housewives of Orange County star, Braunwyn Windham-Burke.During the season 15 premiere of RHOC in fall 2020, Braunwyn revealed in a confessional that she was an alcoholic. The show then followed her journey as she openly showed the ups and downs and spoke about being part of a program of recovery.I was so happy for Braunwyn and wanted to learn about why she decided to make her recovery so public and how she talks about it with her children.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Braunwyn.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Brendan Leonard, an adventure writer, award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and creator of Semi-Rad.com. Drinking landed Brendan in rehab at age 23 and since then he's gone on to get a master's degree, live out of a van for three years, spend weeks below the rim of the Grand Canyon, climb the Grand Teton in a day, bicycled across America, and much more. Brendan wrote "Sixty Meters to Anywhere" about his journey to sobriety and beyond.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Brendan.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is...me!I thought I'd do a short and sweet episode to celebrate reaching a huge personal milestone of 10,000 downloads of the podcast and 20 episodes so far. Spoiler alert: I get a bit.....emotional. More than once. Sorry!Thanks for your support in this passion project of mine- it's a wonderful feeling to be able to speak freely and openly about a stigmatized subject you kept hidden for so long!xoBSupport the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Ken Seeley.You might know Ken from his work as an interventionist on the tv show "Intervention", but Ken himself has a wonderful story of recovery. We talk about his journey to getting sober as well as what he's discovered during his many years of sobriety.  Ken has done an incredible amount of on himself through his years of sobriety and he talks about getting back to the basics: getting comfortable and happy in your own skin before you can do anything else.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ken.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Canadian singer-songwriter Damhnait Doyle. Damhnait was a member of Atlantic Canadian band Shaye from 2003–2009.Damhnait wrote an op-ed which appeared in the Toronto Star in 2019 about how the music industry needs to better support musicians who don't drink. I wanted to chat with her about her decision to stop drinking, how difficult that is as a musician, and how things have changed since she wrote the article.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Damhnait.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is former NBA player Chris Herren.Chris has an incredible story of addiction to recovery. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999 before being traded to his hometown team, the Boston Celtics in 2000 before substance abuse short-circuited his NBA career. What he has done since getting sober is inspirational and nothing short of beautiful.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Chris.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is writer and comedian Amanda Brooke Perrin.Amanda openly speaks about her alcoholism and recovery on her Twitter, which is how I came across her in early 2021.  I loved that she was so open about it and I was curious to hear about what brought her to that realization and what life in Los Angeles is like sober.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Amanda.Support the show

This week's episode of the Unashamed Alcoholic features guest Dr. Adam Hill. Dr. Hill is a US pediatric palliative care physician and recovering alcoholic. Dr. Hill openly shares his own story of depression, suicidal thoughts and alcoholism while working in the field of medicine to help other individuals still suffering. He wrote "Long Walk Out of the Woods" in which he shares his story and lifts the veil of secrecy regarding caregiver mental health.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Hill.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Victoria Vanstone, a writer and blogger living in Australia.Originally from the UK, Victoria has been writing about motherhood and her journey to sobriety for a number of years. She began writing the day she quit drinking alcohol, and has created her site to help others who are sober curious. I was looking forward to chatting with Victoria as having my kids was a big part of my realization of a drinking problem as well.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Victoria.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is harm reduction advocate and inspirational speaker, Guy Felicella.Guy grew up in a middle class home in Richmond but fell into addiction at a young age. He spent 30 years in the repeated cycle of gangs, addiction, treatment and jail and nearly 20 years residing in the two block radius in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver,  using many resources, including harm reduction, to keep himself alive.Today, Guy is using his experience to change hearts and minds on the idea that recovery is harm reduction and harm reduction is recovery.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Guy.Support the show

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Mia St. John, a 5-time World and International Boxing Champion.Mia had 30 years of sobriety when she relapsed. She faced amazing career wins during sobriety, but also some devastating personal losses with the deaths of her son Julian and her ex-husband, Kristoff St. John. I was so moved by her story of resilience and strength. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mia.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Canadian stand-up comedian Debra DiGiovanni. While Debra doesn't drink alcohol anymore either, today's conversation is around a different addiction: marijuana.Debra recently celebrated 5 years of sobriety after quitting marijuana. I was curious to speak with her about her journey to recovery, any stigma she faces and what life as a comedian is like now that she's sober.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Debra.Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is Theo Fleury. Theo is a former NHL hockey player, having played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks and he won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames. Throughout his playing career, Theo battled drug and alcohol addiction, which ultimately led to the end of his hockey playing in 2003. Theo details his childhood trauma, addictions and ultimate recovery in his book Playing with Fire.  He is now committed to helping others with similar struggles and shares his story in the hopes that it can help someone else.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Theo.  Support the show

Today's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is television journalist Elizabeth Vargas, known for her work on ABC News and now A&E Networks.Elizabeth wrote "Between Breaths"- a memoir of her struggle with alcohol addiction. I read this book when I was struggling in my own addiction and I loved the honesty, transparency and heartbreak that she showed in her book.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Elizabeth.Support the show

This week's guest on The Unashamed Alcoholic is Canadian comedy legend and writer, Mary Walsh.Mary has been sober for 28 years and I knew she would have words of wisdom around recovery and the work that is involved in successful sobriety. I was interested in talking to her about how she knew she had a problem, what motivated her to quit and what life has been like since.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mary.Support the show

Today's guest on The Unashamed Alcoholic is Erin Davis, author of the book Mourning Has Broken: Love, Loss and Reclaiming Joy, and the longtime host of 98.1 CHFI's Morning Show until her retirement in December 2016.Erin's story of recovery is emotional, powerful and shows her resilience and strength. This conversation left me feeling warm, inspired and connected. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Erin.Support the show

Welcome back to The Unashamed Alcoholic.Today's guest is Canadian singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson. I just loved this conversation- Lynne was so warm and insightful. She had such beautiful ways to describe why she publicly shares her story of sobriety and how she approaches songwriting now that she is sober.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Lynne.Support the show

On today's episode of The Unashamed Alcoholic, I chat with Captain Sandy Yawn from Bravo's hit show "Below Deck Med'. Captain Sandy offers many insights on long-term sobriety and her personal perspective on recovery and publicly speaking about it.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Captain Sandy.Support the show

Today's guest on The Unashamed Alcoholic is Canadian actress and producer Andrea Stefancikova.I was excited to speak with Andrea as she is vocal about her life-long struggle with addiction and takes pride in her recovery. I wanted to hear about what it's like being sober in the industry she is in and what are the stigmas she faces.Andrea shares about her road to recovery, the moment when she stopped drinking and using and what it was like planning a wedding sober.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Andrea.Support the show