Sir Trevor McDonald health: News presenter opens up about his former drinking habit
Sir Trevor McDonald, 80, is a towering figure in the world of journalism, so much so he was knighted in 1999 for his services to the industry. The news anchor built up a reputation for presenting news with a respectable and dignified formality. In an interview with Decanter magazine, the news host revealed another side to his personality.
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The presenter of ITV’s News At Ten bulletin opened up about his binge drinking habit in the 70s: “The problem with that is that it’s never just a glass. I get home at 11pm and then look at my watch and it’s approaching midnight and I’m on my fourth glass.”
The presenter admitted that his alcohol intake would increase when he wasn’t working nights: “I discovered how quickly your stocks dwindle when you’re home in the evenings.”
He divulged that the drinking culture at the time meant some presenters were even half-cut when they went on air: “There was a bar across the street and most people could be found there day and night.”
He added: “My co-anchor, Reggie Bosanquet, had to be dragged out at five minutes to ten and persuaded to sit down. How we used to carry on working I’ll never know.”
As the NHS explains, binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk.
In the UK, binge drinking is drinking more than:
- Eight units of alcohol in a single session for men
- Six units of alcohol in a single session for women
“This is not an exact definition for binge drinking that applies to everyone, as tolerance to alcohol can vary from person to person,” said the health site.
The speed of drinking in a session can also alter alcohol’s effects, warns the health site, and drinking too much, too quickly on a single occasion can increase your risk of:
- Accidents resulting in injury, causing death in some cases
- Misjudging risky situations
- Losing self-control, like having unprotected sex
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How to reduce your risk
According to the NHS, there are a number of ways to reduce your risk of binge drinking prevent the health problems associated with it.
These include:
- Limit how much you drink on any single occasion
- Drink more slowly
- Drink with food
- Alternate with water or non-alcoholic drinks
- Plan ahead to avoid problems, such as making sure you can get home safely or having people you trust with you
Keeping track of your drinking is even more important if you’re out in risky or unfamiliar circumstances, says the health body, as you can be at risk from others, and may not be able to look after your friends.
It added: “You can easily lose control of what you do or say and may make risky decisions, thinking you’re invulnerable.”
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When to seek help
If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your doctor, advises Mayo Clinic.
Alternative ways to seek help include talking with a mental health professional or consulting a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group, says the health site.
As the health site explains, denial is common in people with a drinking problem: “You might not recognise how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use.”
It is important to listen to those around you, such as relatives, friends and colleagues when they voice concern about your drinking habits, says the health body.
There are myriad health benefits to cutting down on alcohol, including boosting mood, notes the NHS: “There’s a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxious and low.”
If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can exacerbate the problem, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally, explains the health site.
As the health body points out, drinking can also disrupt sleeping patterns: “Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply.
“So cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.”
Cutting down on alcohol is also important for heart health, as the health body explained: “Long-term heavy drinking can lead to your heart becoming enlarged. This is a serious condition that can’t be completely reversed, but stopping drinking can stop it getting worse.”
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