Jack Dee, a stalwart of British comedy, has been selling out arenas across the country with his numerous hilarious tours and leading shows such as Have I Got News for You, along with guest appearances on Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.
He also gained notoriety from his stint in the inaugural series of Celebrity Big Brother for Comic Relief. Jack was eventually crowned the winner after he famously dodged security and fled the house.
Over time, the celebrity series has witnessed its fair share of tumultuous moments, but none quite compare to Jack's daring attempt to burrow his way out of the house after evading eviction.
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With the popular reality show due to return to ITV screens in just a few days, we've been intrigued about Jack's life outside of the limelight and his pursuits since being declared the first-ever winner of the iconic programme.
Here we explore what life is really like for the comedian when he's not under the spotlight, including meeting his wife, battles with alcohol, and aspirations to become a priest, according to Kent Live, reports the Express.
Escaping Big Brother
Every viewer who tuned into the 2001 Celebrity Big Brother series will undoubtedly recall Jack Dee's brief endeavour to leave the show before being retrieved by security. The comedian and actor had signed up for the first-ever celebrity series to raise funds for Comic Relief, but he soon discovered while inside the house that it wasn't his cup of tea.
Jack was eager to exit the show and had hoped the public would vote him out, but when that didn't happen, he decided to take action. He first tried to dig his way out of the house using a rake but then discovered a gate he could slip through, managing to evade studio security for an hour.
Eventually, he was found with mud smeared on his face as a form of "camouflage" and was returned to the Big Brother house in Hertfordshire.
Early life
Before rising to fame, Jack grew up in Orpington, Kent, before his family moved him to Hampshire. He attended The Pilgrims' School, a religious institution.
However, Jack's school experience was marred by severe bullying, leading him to leave without any A-Levels. This experience inspired him to "reform the Church of England". In 1986, Jack met his future wife Susan by chance after moving to London and taking a job as a waiter at a Covent Garden brasserie.
During his time at the restaurant, he was introduced to Susan, who worked as a receptionist at a nearby hotel. They went on to marry and now have four children, splitting their time between two homes in London and West Sussex.
'Battles with booze'.
Jack has spoken openly about his struggles with alcohol and depression, revealing that he went through a particularly tough period in his twenties. During a tumultuous period, Jack, employed at the prestigious Ritz hotel, wrestled with excessive drinking.
In an interview with the Evening Standard, he recalled those trying times, saying: "Abusing alcohol is like being mad, I suppose." Jack provided insight into his personal struggles: "I still maintain that I wasn't an alcoholic, even though I was behaving like one because after a few years of not drinking when I stopped it, I still felt the same, which was depressed."
Exploring the priesthood route
The renowned comedian well-known for once telling his career advisor of his desire to "reform the Church Of England," did, in fact, seriously consider entering the priesthood. During his twenties, Jack battled depression and attended AA meetings with little benefit after overcoming alcoholism.
Concurrently drawn to the church, Jack thought about becoming a priest and met with Westminster's Director of Ordinands, only to be turned down with kindness. During the Evening Standard interview, Jack reflected that the experience "was the closest I have come to being truly mad."
Furthermore, Jack admitted, "I felt this calling, without it being helpful enough to tell me what direction to take. That's partly what confused me and made me take the church so seriously.
"I was doing all the right things, going to AA and not drinking, and still I was becoming very, very depressed. I think it was at that point that I realised there was a cycle to [the depression] and that usually it passed, but that it was always going to happen from time to time."
Jack has candidly reflected on his journey since winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2001, which brought about a career revival with a series of successful stand-up gigs.
However, the pressure of fame took a toll on his mental health, leading to a relapse after a prolonged stint of abstinence. In an open discussion with The Sun about overcoming addiction, Jack remarked: "Once you put a label on a thing like that, you are empowering it."
He further commented on the power of language and mindset in addressing habits: "It's a very loaded word. If it is an addiction, you are an addict, and we can't help it. A bad habit is much easier to deal with than an addiction, just mentally."
Jack, who has previously overcome his battles with alcohol, still attends psychotherapy to cope with depression. He recounted his peculiar experiences during therapy sessions to the media, saying: "I have tried having psychotherapy but there is something about my face. They start corpsing when I start talking. I could be telling them my problems and then they start giggling and have to apologise. I thought, 'this isn't working'."
