Reality TV star star Calum Best – 6 things you didn’t know about the model and son of George Best

CALUM Best is no stranger to reality TV, having appeared on an impressive number of shows over the years.

Here’s a few things you may not know about him…

Battle of the booze

Calum has freely admitted that he has the same demon inside him as his footballer father, and went off the rails after George died in 2005.

But did you know that he is a longer term supporter and patron of The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA)?

Having grown up under the cloud of his father’s alcoholism credits a BBC documentary called Brought Up By Booze for giving him an insight into his psyche.

Calum has said; “Drinking ruined my health, cost me my career and my reputation.  I was drinking for three years. But my mum helped me and put me on a better path.”

During his stint on the US reality show Famously Single in 2016, he revealed that he had never sought therapy in regards to his upbringing.

However when he had to talk to a therapist as part of the E! show, some of his deep issues came to the fore and he found himself drinking heavily again.

Calum says of  his connection with NACOA; “It’s so important for me to be a Nacoa patron.  If I’d known there was someone I could talk to or even someone to listen it would have helped me understand and cope with my dad’s illness.

“I hope kids and young people feel they can ask me for help and see that things can be different if you talk about it.”

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Calum has not hidden the fact that he has struggled with male pattern baldness, but did you know that he has actually had THREE hair transplants?

He started losing his hair at the age of 23 and has had three of the £6,000 procedures in the last three years in an attempt to keep a full head of hair.

All his procedures have been carried out by transplant specialist Asim Shahmalak in Manchester, who is the hair loss expert on Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies.

Calum has spoken about how his hair loss affected his self-esteem and that the Follicular Unit Extraction technique also used by Wayne Rooney has changed his life.

Ink obsessed thanks to Angie…

As everyone knows, Calum is no stranger to a tattoo parlour – but where does his obsession come from?

Well he actually blames his mum for his devotion to his body art.

Getting inked is part of his lifestyle, but Calum says that he wouldn’t have become infatuated by tats if it weren’t for Angie taking him for his first one.

He told BANG Showbiz; “I’m going to blame my mum because she took me when I was 15 for my first tattoo.

“She said ‘If I take you for your first one, that’s it.’ She took me for my first one and over the years you realise good artists out here.

Back then, you just went to anybody for a tattoo, and now you know there’s different artists for different styles.  It’s part of my lifestyle.”

However, after revealing his entire torso was covered with ink in 2016, he now admits he may be done.

“I think we are done.  I think we are close to done.  There’s no face.  I promised my mum no neck and face”

He’s behind you!

He’s not generally known for his crooning skills, but did you know that Calum appeared in panto in 2015?

He made his public singing debut in Cinderella at the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool, and who else would Best Jr play than Prince Charming?

As an international playboy he was on the receiving end of a few good-natured panto digs about his lothario reputation and his obsession with grooming.

Calum didn’t do an awful lot of singing but he did manage to get a good plug in for Burton mens clothes, who he is the face of, during his run treading the boards.

A dangerous game…

Following on from his theatrical stint, did you know that Calum palyed the lead role in a mafia movie.

Released in June 2017, the film not only stars Calum, but he is also co-producer along with Amar Adatia.

The movie tells the tale of a footballer with big dreams who ends up getting into trouble with the Russian mafia.

Other celebrities featured in the film which is based in Essex include ex-Towie star Ricky Rayment, fellow CBB alumni Darren Day, Katie Price’s ex Alex Reid and celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford.

It’s all in a name

Did you know that Calum’s middle name is Milan?

He was named after his Godfather Milan Manderic who was George Best’s lifelong friend and former owner of Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday football clubs.