Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, has revealed that getting sober after struggling with alcohol addiction was 'probably the hardest thing I've ever done.' The Grammy-nominated musician spoke candidly on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, describing his alcoholism as a 'parasite' and recalling the fear he felt when returning to DJing without alcohol.
Wake-Up Call from Zoe Ball
Cook said his then-wife, radio DJ Zoe Ball, gave him an ultimatum that prompted him to seek help. 'That was my wakeup moment. There had been tons of people shouting at me before, but it was whispered very quietly in the end,' he told host Lauren Laverne. He described addiction as a 'weird disease' and a 'parasite' that protects itself, making it difficult to quit. 'Probably the last year of my drinking, I wasn't really enjoying it, and things were starting to fall off in my life,' he added.
Rehab and Sobriety Journey
Cook checked into a rehab facility in 2009 and has been sober for nearly 15 years. He said he realized he had sought help 'just in time.' When asked if quitting was easy, he replied: 'No, absolutely not. Probably the hardest thing I've ever done … I couldn't have done it without going to rehab. I needed someone to bash into my head for a month. You know, “you'll die, and you'll be in misery if you don't stop doing this.”'
Returning to the Stage Sober
The prospect of DJing sober after rehab filled Cook with anxiety. 'For the first five shows, I was so paralysed and rigid with fear, I couldn't dance, and I couldn't enjoy it. I was thinking: “What are you actually doing? Why are you going to play that record next? And why are they going to react to it?”' He said a 'beautiful night in Japan' helped him overcome his fears, as the crowd's excitement reminded him that his job was to make people happy. 'Everything sort of fitted into place,' he said.
Career Highlights
Cook rose to fame as Fatboy Slim in the 1990s after performing with the Housemartins alongside Paul Heaton. He released club hits such as 'Praise You,' 'The Rockafeller Skank,' and 'Right Here, Right Now.' He has received six Grammy nominations and won the 2002 Best Music Video award for 'Weapon of Choice,' featuring actor Christopher Walken dancing through a deserted hotel lobby.
The full Desert Island Discs episode will be available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4 from Sunday at 10am.
