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OFF THE WAGON

Line Of Duty’s Ted Hastings actor Adrian Dunbar is drinking again after 20 years sober and attending AA meetings

The star previously said he 'didn't like' who he became after drinking

LINE Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar is back on the booze after 20 years sober.

The actor, who plays Ted Hastings in the hit BBC crime thriller, has been pictured clutching bottles of beer despite previously attending AA meetings to quit the habit.

 Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar seen with a bottle of beer at the BAFTA Craft Awards last year
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Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar seen with a bottle of beer at the BAFTA Craft Awards last yearCredit: Rex Features

The 60-year-old actor has spoken candidly about going teetotal on his 40th birthday, but pals have reportedly told that he is drinking again.

The star was pictured clutching at a bottle of Peroni as he hung out with Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio at the BAFTA Craft Awards last year.

Adrian has been open about his battle with booze and previously said he felt "lucky" to have given up when he did.

Speaking in 2004, he confessed: "At my 40th, I was in this club, with loads of friends, but I was thinking, ‘there’s something wrong. I’m not happy and maybe it’s something to do with drink.’

 The actor enjoyed a beer with Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio at the BAFTA bash in 2018
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The actor enjoyed a beer with Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio at the BAFTA bash in 2018Credit: Rex Features
 The actor is best known for playing Superintendent Ted Hastings in the hit police drama
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The actor is best known for playing Superintendent Ted Hastings in the hit police dramaCredit: BBC

"So I went to an AA meeting and, the first time I did, I listened to everything everyone was saying and it all made sense.

"I was one of those lucky people who stopped himself drinking before going too far down that road."

The actor has played whiskey-loving Superintendent Ted Hastings on police series Line of Duty since 2011.

Once again slamming his relationship with booze in a 2008 interview, he said: "[Alcohol was a] great friend of mine, but the amity went sour. The penny dropped – I thought, I don’t like who I’m becoming.”

 It's no secret Adrian's character Ted loves a drop of whiskey
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It's no secret Adrian's character Ted loves a drop of whiskeyCredit: BBC

He added: "Once I’d decided to stop, I just did. No going back," before admitting that drink made his “thought processes extremely negative”, explaining: "You begin to think everyone has an agenda.

"Sure, I thought I was at my best when drinking – erudite, generous, smart – but there always was the morning after. At times like that I became mean-spirited."

The same year he admitted he had "not attended AA meetings recently" but said he found it "tough".

He said: "If I needed to [attend AA meetings] I would... It is tough when everyone else is drinking, but it’s just not an option, is it?”

Line Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has been hiding in plain sight for 40 years - here's some of the TV shows you've seen him in before he landed Ted Hastings role


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