She bravely spoke out about her drink and drug addiction after returning home following a four-week stay at a rehabilitation facility – and now Michelle Heaton is looking to the future with her husband-of-11-years Hugh Hanley and their children Faith, nine, and Aaron Jay, seven.
Last month, Michelle, 41, tearfully revealed how she was days from death after regularly binging on cocaine and drinking a bottle of vodka and two bottles of wine a night. Her addictions were sparked by having an early menopause triggered by a gruelling double mastectomy and a hysterectomy, with her problems spiralling out of control during lockdown because of financial struggles her family faced as a result of cancelled work opportunities.
The Liberty X star praised her pals for supporting her throughout her ordeal, saying that Jordan – also known as Katie Price – had convinced her to go to rehab. And now Michelle’s close friend Danielle Lloyd – who’s been on holidays with her – tells Closer she reached out to Michelle and desperately felt for her friend, especially as she understands the hell of addiction herself.
Danielle, 37, also struggled with alcohol and drug abuse in her twenties after a bad break-up left her feeling suicidal, and sought help in rehab for her problems.
She says, “I was so sad to hear about Michelle. I reached out to her and texted her. It hit me hard because I’ve been there myself – I’ve suffered with being dependent on alcohol. There was a time in my life when I used alcohol to numb pain, and I went to rehab for it too. So I know what it’s like.
“She’s been such a great friend to me over the years and we go so far back. She’s such a strong person.”
Michelle’s addictions stemmed from her health issues, with the singer undergoing a double mastectomy in 2012, followed by a hysterectomy two years later after finding out she was a carrier of the mutated BRCA2 gene, which meant she had an 85 per cent risk of breast cancer and up to a 40 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.
Check out: Liberty X - where are they now?
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1 of 10Michelle Heaton
After Liberty X split in 2007, it was reported Michelle signed a two album deal with the record label 19 Entertainment, owned by Simon Fuller. However, just two months later she revealed she had walked out on the deal, wanting to pursue a television career over music instead.
2 of 10Michelle Heaton
Michelle definitely chose the right career path as following her decision, her TV profile skyrocketed, becoming a judge on the Irish talent show You're A Star, a contestant on ITV's The Truth About Binge Drinking and in 2009, Michelle was announced as part of the line-up for Celebrity Big Brother, joining Hollywood legends La Toya Jackson and Verne Troyer. After her CBB stint, she joined The Apprentice in Ireland, coming second. The star then took out time from the spotlight, raising two children as well as undergoing a double mastectomy in 2012, followed by a hysterectomy in 2014. She has since become a staple on talk show panels, including Big Brother's Bit On The Side and Loose Women, as well as reuniting with Liberty X in 2012 and 2013 for a UK tour AND becoming a member of Atomic Kitten for a one-off gig in 2016. Michelle is also a vlogger.phew.
3 of 10Kevin Simm
Following the band disembarking, Kevin immediately announced he was to release solo music. However, he only released his music in Japan, becoming a huge hit there when his single Brand New reached number 12 in the charts.
4 of 10Kevin Simm
While Kevin did rejoin the band in 2013 for their reunion, he then returned to his day job as a wedding photographer. But he didn't turn his back on singing altogether, as three years later he auditioned for The Voice UK and won the competition under Ricky Wilson's mentoring, gaining a record deal. Kevin released his album, called Recover, and is still releasing music following the album's success.
5 of 10Jessica Taylor
Just before the popular band's split, Jessica was a participant in Strictly Ice Dancing in 2005 (the show was short-lived) and then went on to star on Dancing on Ice in 2009, two years after the band parted ways. She came third, boosting her profile as a solo artist.
6 of 10Jessica Taylor
Since then, Jessica has appeared on various TV shows, including Hole In The Wall, The Chase and The Weakest Link. Jessica was also signed as the face and body of Diamond Boutique lingerie by Ultimo in 2009. However, she has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, marrying cricketer Kevin Pietersen in 2007 and welcoming two children.
7 of 10Tony Lundon
As the heartthrob of the band, Tony was offered many deals after the group's split, firstly accepting a presenting role in Ireland, hosting the quiz show TOAST. Yet, in 2010, Tony made a big career change and moved to New York to study film, before going on to found his own production company.
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8 of 10Tony Lundon
Like his other bandmates, Tony returned to the UK for Liberty X's reunion tour, missing some of the rehearsals after his wife went into labour with twins. He now works as a producer, helping other celebs, like Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing, with their YouTube channels. Maybe Michelle and Tony should reunite for a vlog?
9 of 10Kelli Young
Kelli kept out of the spotlight after the band split, only appearing on one other TV show in 2007, where she featured as a contestant on Britain Sings Christmas. She covered Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You.
10 of 10Kelli Young
Kelli made her TV comeback in 2013 for The Big Reunion but then disappeared again until 2017, when she became a guest panellist on Loose Women. Kelli gave birth to twins with Little Mix songwriter Iain James in 2012. What is it with the Liberty X gang having twins?
But the op brought on early menopause, which led to hair loss and, in Michelle’s words, left her feeling “erratic, down and emotional.”
Michelle said that the aftermath of her operations was the reason she turned to drugs and alcohol, saying, “On paper, I’m not recognised as a woman, as I have no womanly organs. But I felt I had to live with that pain and suffering myself because I made that choice. I wasn’t allowed to cry or grieve or ask for help and I didn’t have therapy.”
She heartbreakingly went on to describe how she was “killing herself” by drinking as much as a bottle of vodka and two bottles of wine a night since 2018 and regularly taking cocaine.
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She added, “What I was doing was a suicide mission. I never actually thought, ‘I want to kill myself’ but, ultimately, I was killing myself... When you’re an addict, it feels like there’s no way out.”
But Michelle has now been sober since the end of April, and is desperately trying to get her life back on track – sharing pictures on social media of her drinking mocktails with daughter Faith, working out in the gym, walking her dog in the countryside and reading addiction recovery books.
And pal Danielle – who’s currently three months pregnant – has found a healthy relationship with alcohol over the years, and has every faith in Michelle.
She says, “I’m so proud of her. She’s doing so well – and talking about it and sharing what she’s going through is not only a great step for her, but will also help other people. I wish her all the best.”
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