LOVE Island's Scott Thomas has signed up to the second-ever All Stars spin-off after clocking a huge personal milestone.
The Manchester businessman is the oldest contestant in the official ITV2 show line-up for the matchmaking programme, which kicks off on Monday.
Yet Scott, who originally starred in Love Island's second series back in 2016, has successfully battled his booze demons since his time in the sun-soaked villa.
Back in 2020, the TV star, who runs Manchester-based firm the Social PR, told how he almost lost his business after an alcohol fuelled blow out.
He told how the rampage got him kicked out of work events and now claims "sobriety is a superpower."
Scott has previously told how his "relationship with alcohol" started at the age of 14, when he and his mates would get someone to buy vodka on their behalf.
After making the most of the "party boy" lifestyle which saw him throwing parties professionally everywhere from Manchester to Marbella, he admitted "beneath the surface, I was losing control."
Scott told drinkaware.co.uk: "Alcohol became my crutch; it gave me confidence, but it was masking who I was.
"Often on nights out, I'd find myself turning into a completely different person.
"It got to a point where I'd go on a night out, I'd cut myself off for days after, upsetting friends and family. I was giving people the wrong impression of me, I wasn’t showing them the real me.
"And sometimes I'd wake up in tears because that's not who I am or what I wanted to be known for."
Scott has also spoken out on the exact moment he knew he needed to ditch alcohol for his life - and career.
Scott - brother to actors Ryan and Adam Thomas - said: "The big moment for me was when I got escorted out of a work event.
"I'd been out the night before to take the wind out of my sails and wasn't all pent up. It was all calculated.
"But I woke up late and was pretty much half-cooked when I turned up to this Chairman's Luncheon. I ended up getting escorted out just for being so drunk.
"I had one of the directors in a headlock, saying 'come here you'."
He added to the podcast Boots presents Taboo Talk: "I woke up the next day and my team knew all about it, my business partner wouldn't speak to me, I nearly lost my biggest client and I just knew this couldn't go on anymore."
"I was a nightmare when I drunk. I became a different person. I was unfiltered and could become quite nasty. Not aggressive, but full on. I would tell you exactly what I thought in that moment and could upset people."
He has since told of the self development which has gone hand-in-hand with his sobriety journey.
Meanwhile, he hasn't ruled out drinking again but admitted he is focussed on a balanced approach to happiness.
LOVE ISLAND JOURNEY
The Sun was first to report how Scott had been lined up for All Stars back in November.
An insider said at the time: “Scott is way more mature than he was when he first appeared and wants to show the world a new side.
“He thinks it would be a great way to publicise his podcast and his company.
“He also thinks it could be a lot of fun, and would love to find real romance.”
Scott, whose ex Kady McDermott returned to the villa as a bombshell in 2023, has previously revealed he regrets turning down the chance to appear in All Stars in 2024.
