Roy Stride (Scouting for Girls) Admits Alcohol Problem, Anxiety and Recovery Journey
5/4/202658 min
Scouting for Girls frontman Roy Stride achieved global fame and number-one albums, but behind the scenes, he was wearing a mask. For 25 years, he used alcohol to bridge the gap between his public persona and a deep-seated feeling of never being "enough," eventually spiraling into a high-functioning nightmare of secret drinking and pre-show panic attacks.
In this episode, Roy pulls back the curtain on the exhaustion of the "secret life." He reveals the extreme lengths he went to hide his addiction, from filling non-alcoholic cans with real beer to drinking 30 units a day while on tour.
Roy also discusses the moment his dream became a prison, his initial skepticism of recovery, and how leaning into the "weirdness" of AA saved his marriage, his career, and his life. This is a powerful exploration of why life in recovery is infinitely better than the "belonging" found in a bottle.
This episode covers the following themes: Addiction, High-Functioning Anxiety, Recovery, and Finding Belonging.
'Scouting for Girls' new album These Are The Good Days' is out now
Need Support?
Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
Narcotics Anonymous: na.org
Alcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Mental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.uk
Shout: https: giveusashout.org
IAPT: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/
Heights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/au3-OTM20
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Clips
Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMatt Willis· Host0:00
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Roy Stride· Guest0:04
As soon as I started drinking, I loved it. From the very beginning, I had a problem with it.
Matt Willis· Host0:10
Yeah.
Roy Stride· Guest0:10
I could have died so many times.
Matt Willis· Host0:12
Yeah.
Roy Stride· Guest0:13
There are so many things where if it had gone the other way, it would've changed my life- Yeah ... for ever.
Matt Willis· Host0:19
'Cause you've never talked about this before.
Roy Stride· Guest0:20
I've never talked about this since I got sober. It's, it's been the most transformative thing that I've ever done.
Matt Willis· Host0:25
And today, I'm so stoked to have the front man, songwriter of Scouting for Girls, Roy Stride.
Roy Stride· Guest0:36
Hello.
Matt Willis· Host0:37
I mean, I'm so pleased to have you on, mate. I mean, we go back.
Roy Stride· Guest0:40
We go back.
Matt Willis· Host0:41
We go back.
Roy Stride· Guest0:41
Do you know where we first met?
Matt Willis· Host0:42
I, I, I, I do.
Roy Stride· Guest0:43
I was thinking if you can remember.
Matt Willis· Host0:45
I do.
Roy Stride· Guest0:45
Okay, go on then.
Matt Willis· Host0:45
'Cause I was reminded about it by , I can't... I think it was one of your band mates at a gig.
Roy Stride· Guest0:50
Okay.
Matt Willis· Host0:51
Um.
Roy Stride· Guest0:51
Oh, right. Okay ...
Matt Willis· Host0:52
um, at a backstage at a gig.
Roy Stride· Guest0:53
Yeah.
Matt Willis· Host0:53
And I did suddenly had this flashback- Okay ... to a moment. But do you remember it?
Roy Stride· Guest0:57
I do remember it. It was Imperial University.
Matt Willis· Host0:59
Right.
Roy Stride· Guest1:00
It was... I think you were doing either DJing or it might have been your solo record.
Matt Willis· Host1:04
No, this was, um, Emma was DJing.
Roy Stride· Guest1:06
Oh, right.
Matt Willis· Host1:07
Yeah, so Emma was, I was there with Emma. She was DJing.
Roy Stride· Guest1:10
Okay.
Matt Willis· Host1:10
And I was just there. Yeah.
Roy Stride· Guest1:11
We were literally so excited.
Matt Willis· Host1:13
Yeah.
Roy Stride· Guest1:13
Because you were, like, the first famous person we'd met. We'd just signed our deal. It was our first tour. And we're like, "It's Matt Willis from fucking Busted." [laughs] And we were like... It was absolut- it was like... It, 'cause we'd just signed our deal about three months before, and we were, we'd finished- Well, you had a record on the radio, right?