Breakfast presenter Hayley Holt has opened up about the events that led her to reach "rock bottom" in her struggle with alcohol.
Speaking to Jehan Casinader in the first episode of TVNZ's new mental health series, The Inside Word, Ms Holt spoke candidly about her past.
She explained how, in 2013, she failed an on-air drug test while presenting a radio show on More FM.
Angry that the stunt had been broadcast, she decided to get drunk one night, before hosting her early-morning radio show.
"I blamed [my] work… so I decided to get drunk and go on air, and show them just how resentful I was."
The fallout was highly publicised, and Ms Holt said she sat in her house for about three days, "hiding from everything, [while] drinking".
"That wasn’t the only rock bottom I'd had. I'd had many, many, many times where I should have gone, 'Hey, let's look at your drinking'."
Her biggest wake-up call came after a decade of heavy drinking.
"It took me watching my friend giving up drinking, and seeing the difference in her - that made me realise 'Wow, this might be the answer'."
Ms Holt got sober with the support of Alcoholics Anonymous.
"What you learn in AA is most of the reason you drink is resentment and fear," she said.
She chose to share her story in the hope of encouraging young people to reconsider their alcohol consumption.
Ms Holt is an ambassador for 'No Beers? Who Cares!', a community of sober drinkers who are keen to show that it's possible to live an enjoyable life without alcohol.
The Inside Word airs Sundays at 9pm on DUKE. All six episodes are available now on TVNZ OnDemand.
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