Strictly contestant and Bake Off winner reveals steroid addiction

TV chef John Whaite has revealed his five-year steroid addiction “made me want to end my life”.

The 36-year-old is best known for winning the Great British Bake Off in 2012 and coming second as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

In an emotional video posted to Instagram, the 36-year-old revealed that he had been “taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years, and these things have really, really ruined my life.”

He said he was speaking out now in the hope that “young boys will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies.”

Whaite is also known for presenting cooking segments on daytime shows such as ITV’s Lorraine and Steph’s Packed Lunch.

He told his supporters that he started taking steroids during lockdown “because I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw”.

Whaite explained that he suffered from bulimia, an eating disorder, and body dysmorphia, where a person perceives flaws in their own body that are often less visible to others.

He said: “The more people recognized the way I looked on steroids, the more I felt good about myself, I felt valuable.”

He said one of the side effects was the shrinking of his testicles: “I have small balls now, that’s your title,” he said.

Whaite also said steroids caused him acne and an unregulated libido.

The chef and TV presenter said he decided to speak out after hearing a young male member of his family discussing a “dangerously powerful steroid”.

“I’m really worried about young boys growing up and seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,” Whaite said in the tearful video.

“You only have one body, so please respect it, please let it do what it can do, don’t try to push it, stretch, eat right, try to get to the place where you look in the mirror and see yourself with kind eyes.”

Taking steroids, he added, had been a “stupid decision on my part”, adding that he was “tired of being tied to this solution”.

In a caption accompanying the video, Whaite concluded: “Steroids made me want to end my life.

“It stops now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.”

The BBC has contacted White for comment.

Anabolic steroids – an artificial substance that copies the male hormone testosterone – are Class C drugs that are legal for personal use.

Pharmacists can dispense them, but only on prescription.

But it is illegal to provide or sell them, including giving them to friends. This carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Seizures of anabolic steroids increased by 26% in the UK last year to 995,830 doses, with most found at the UK border.

There is no official medical research or guidance on how to reduce the risks of taking them.

Steroids stop many normal body functions, including sperm production. Side effects such as testicular shrinkage may be reversible when men stop taking the drug, but this can take years and is often not complete.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can find help via BBC Action Line.