Max George has said that sobriety has made life clearer and helped him pass his driving test, despite leaving him “really bored at weekends”.
George, 33, makes up one fifth of British and Irish boyband The Wanted.
He also took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 and recently completed the Strictly live tour.
Speaking to Fleur East on Hits Radio, George said: “I haven’t drunk in 18 months, everyone says ‘I bet you feel well better don’t you?’ No, I just feel really bored at weekends! Just grim as usual through the week.
“It has been good, it’s easier to keep fit… so yeah, everything’s pretty clear now.”
George credited his 18 months of sobriety with helping him pass his driving test, after seven attempts.
“I passed my driving test which is good, only took 32 years and seven tests! All my tests always came on Mondays, so I always felt awful (after the weekend), but I passed on a Thursday morning,” he said.
After a seven-year hiatus, George and his bandmates – Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes – reunited last year to record new material and launch a 2022 UK tour.
The tour kicked off in Glasgow on March 3, however Parker was not present due to a delay to cancer treatment he is currently receiving for a brain tumour.
Speaking about the tour, George said: “It’s our first tour in eight years and we are genuinely pushing it to make this the best we’ve ever done; our rehearsals are twice as long as usual, and we are better looking than we’ve ever been!”
George also hosts a show on Hits Radio every Friday from 7pm-10pm.