Jack Dee, a staple in British comedy, has made us laugh for years with his stand-up tours and TV appearances on shows like Have I Got News for You and Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.
He’s also known for his memorable stint on the first-ever series of Celebrity Big Brother for Comic Relief, where he was crowned the winner after daring to escape from the house.
The celebrity version of the show has seen its fair share of drama over the years, but Jack’s audacious bid to dig his way out of the house after avoiding eviction is still one of the most talked-about moments.
With the much-loved reality show set to return to our screens soon, we wondered what Jack’s life has been like since he became the first-ever winner of the iconic series.
So, let’s take a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes in Jack’s life, including how he met his wife, his struggles with alcohol, and his surprising aspiration to become a priest, reports Kent Live.
Celebrity Big Brother Escape Attempt
Anyone who watched the 2001 series of Celebrity Big Brother will surely remember Jack Dee’s infamous attempt to leave the show, only to be returned by security.
The comedian had signed up for the first-ever celebrity edition of the show to raise money for Comic Relief but quickly realised that life in the Big Brother house wasn’t for him.
Jack really wanted to leave the show and was hoping the public would vote him out, but when that didn’t happen, he took matters into his own hands.
He initially tried to dig his way out with a rake but then discovered a gate he could slip through, evading security at the studios for an hour.
When found, Jack had mud on his face as “camouflage” and was returned to the Big Brother house in Hertfordshire.
Before fame
The comedian hailed from Orpington in Kent but later moved to Hampshire, where he attended The Pilgrims’ School, a religious institution. School life wasn’t easy for Jack, and he faced bullying, leaving without any A-Levels. He was inspired to “reform the Church of England” due to his experiences.
In 1986, Jack’s life took a turn when he met his future wife Susan by chance after moving to London and working as a waiter in Covent Garden. Susan, who worked as a receptionist at a nearby hotel, eventually became his wife, and the couple now have four children, dividing their time between two homes in London and West Sussex.
Depression and alcohol abuse
Jack has been candid about his struggles with alcohol and depression, particularly during a difficult period in his twenties. The talented star opened up about his battles with booze to the Evening Standard, noting: “Abusing alcohol is like being mad, I suppose.”
He explained his complex relationship with alcohol further: “I still maintain that I wasn’t an alcoholic, even though I was behaving like one because, after a few years of not drinking when I stopped it, I still felt the same, which was depressed.”
Thoughts of being a priest
Jack had big dreams of shaking up the Church Of England, once telling his career advisor he aimed to “reform the Church Of England.” Eventually, to battle his ongoing depression and after bidding farewell to alcohol, Jack found himself at AA meetings but to no avail.
Religion seemed to call his name as he started attending church more often during these challenges and even toyed with the notion of donning the priest’s collar. However, the Director of Ordinands for Westminster gently shut down this possibility.
Reflecting on this intense period of his life during the same candid chat with the Evening Standard, Jack confessed it “was the closest I have come to being truly mad.”
He described a feeling of a vague yet potent spiritual draw that ultimately left him bemused and sincerely considering the church: “I felt this calling, without it being helpful enough to tell me what direction to take. That’s partly what confused me and made me take the church so seriously.
“I was doing all the right things, going to AA and not drinking, and still I was becoming very, very depressed. I think it was at that point that I realised there was a cycle to [the depression] and that usually it passed, but that it was always going to happen from time to time.”
Relapse
After his Celebrity Big Brother win in 2001, Jack saw a boost in his career and embarked on some highly successful stand-up shows.
However, the sudden rise in fame had an impact on his mental health, and he started drinking again after years of sobriety. Unfortunately, the comedian relapsed.
Having conquered his demons once more, he told The Sun: “Once you put a label on a thing like that, you are empowering it.
“It’s a very loaded word. If it is an addiction, you are an addict, and we can’t help it. A bad habit is much easier to deal with than an addiction, just mentally.”
While Jack has maintained control over his previous issue with alcohol, he continues to see a psychotherapist to assist with managing his depression. He told the same publication: “I have tried having psychotherapy but there is something about my face. They start corpsing when I start talking. I could be telling them my problems and then they start giggling and have to apologise. I thought, ‘this isn’t working’.”