Emmerdale’s Liam Fox reveals dad’s booze hell saying he drank two bottles of vodka a day
EMMERDALE'S Liam Fox has opened up about his dad Billy's booze hell - revealing that he drank two bottles of vodka a day in a 40-year alcohol battle.
The 51-year-old star plays Dan Spencer in the ITV soap, and has bravely opened up about his family's secret pain.
Billy died earlier this year at the age of 73, and while he passed away from pneumonia, the actor has explained that this was caused by his alcoholism.
Liam has revealed that it was "horrendous" to watch his beloved dad struggle with the addiction for nearly four decades - and he "repeatedly warned" him that it'd kill him one day.
He went on to reveal that his dad's "harsh" childhood is where he believes his problems began, with builder Billy beginning to noticeably drink more when Liam was just 13.
Liam shared: "In my teens, he started to get drunk on a regular basis. He would get home later and later and we used to absolutely dread it.
We knew he couldn’t cope. He started drinking heavily again and he was on a self-destruct button."
Liam Fox
"Each time this happened, Dad would promise he wouldn’t drink again and for six months or so, he wouldn’t but then he would predictably start again."
Billy vowed to become a new man when Liam welcomed his first son, Ben, with ex wife Nicola Barber-Lane in 1999, and for 17 years he "didn't let the drinking get out of control".
But when Billy's partner Jackie died in 2016 he "fell apart".
Liam told : "We knew he couldn’t cope. He started drinking heavily again and he was on a self-destruct button."
We would all tell him he was going to die if he didn’t stop. He promised he would but then it would start again.
Liam Fox
"Lost in his own pain", Billy began to withdraw £100 a day to pay for his booze habit, and would binge on alcohol until he needed medical attention.
Liam added to the publication: "He would get so legless my sister, Michelle, his neighbour or I would regularly find him on the floor collapsed.
"Once I got a call to say he was in a police cell after crashing his motability car into a taxi.
“We would all tell him he was going to die if he didn’t stop. He promised he would but then it would start again."
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The actor confessed that his dad was "lonely and cried all the time" but he wasn't able to get the professional help needed to deal with his depression.
And last year, Liam was left heartbroken when his dad caught Covid while in hospital following an alcohol binge - with the virus leaving scarring on his lungs.
As a result, Billy caught pneumonia months later - which ultimately led to his death in February.
Liam admits he was "angry" at Billy in his final days, but they managed to make their peace shortly before he passed away.
The star now hopes to raise awareness around alcoholism, and help other sufferers get the support that they need.
Contact the Samaritans
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact The Samaritans on 116 123.
They are available for free at anytime.
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