'It's a horrible thing'
Lorraine Kelly reveals she once took same ‘seductive’ painkiller as Ant McPartlin as she sends support to star after he checked into rehab for addiction
LORRAINE Kelly has spoken of the effect Tramadol had on her following a serious accident - the same drug which led Ant McPartlin to admit himself to rehab over the weekend.
The host, 57, suffered a nasty cut to her thigh after falling from a horse and being trodden on at a charity event in 2012. She was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery before being prescribed the powerful painkiller.
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Speaking on today's episode of Lorraine, she said: "We remember, Hilary, when I had my really bad accident and I was on Tramadol, and it is seductive. I actually wanted the pain, because it makes everything fantastic... but your head's full of cotton wool, it's horrible and it's not real. It's a horrible thing."
The revelation came as Lorraine, Dr Hilary Jones and The Sun's Dan Wootton discussed Ant's brave decision to go to rehab for prescription drug and alcohol addiction.
In an emotional statement, Ant said: “The first step is to admit to yourself you need help.
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"I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry.
“I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this really difficult time.
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“I’ve spoken out because I think it’s important that people ask for help if they’re going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery.”
Ant’s anguish began two years ago when he went under the knife to fix cartilage in the knee at an unnamed hospital.
He has told friends the op was “botched”, and his life has not been the same since.
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The energetic entertainer continued to bounce around the set of Britain’s Got Talent, unaware he was carrying a fracture.
As a result he eroded the bone until his kneecap slipped.
But he soldiered on, determined to keep his pain a secret from his millions of fans.
A source said: “The sad truth is that Ant is in agony nearly every waking moment.
“He makes sure the mask never slips in public, but off camera is a different matter.
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“He can often be found lying on his dressing room floor, his face contorted in pain.
“If he didn’t have a knee brace, then he wouldn’t be able to stand up at all.
“He never wanted his fans to know of his despair because he thought it would ruin the happy-go-lucky act for everyone.
“His attitude has always been, ‘The show must go on!’”
Last Tuesday Ant had knee surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, West London.
His original operation was at a different hospital.
Back in 2012 Lorraine spoke of her horror fall from her hospital bed.
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She said: “It was only my second time on a horse and I was attempting a modest jump when I fell off.
“It was part of a fund-raising ‘gold challenge’ to raise money for charity by taking part in an Olympic sport.
“I was competing in the pentathlon, which includes horse jumping, against Sarah for her PiggyBankKids charity.
“As I landed on the ground, the horse trampled on me and stamped on my inner thigh.
“There was a lot of blood and a deep wound.”“The trauma team at St George’s were brilliant. I was given a general anaesthetic and knocked out and the wound was cleaned and stitched in the theatre.
“Luckily no skin graft was needed. The staff here have been incredible. It’s the NHS at its finest.
“I did get a real shock, a real fright, but it was an accident and these things happen.”
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