John Whaite tearfully reveals truth about illegal steroid addiction that’s ‘messed with his life’

John Whaite has opened up about his devastating addiction to anabolic steroids.

The 36-year-old star won the Great British Bake Off in 2012, and more recently reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

In February, he joined OnlyFans, and has now opened up about his struggle with addiction and how his mental health has been impacted.

‘Steroid addiction – the truth,’ he posted alongside a tearful video on Instagram.

He wrote: ‘For the past 5 years I’ve let myself down, I haven’t respected my body or my mind, I’ve put body image before my own wellbeing and before time with my family.

‘Steroids have made me want to end my life. That stops today. Right now.

‘I hope that in sharing this harsh truth, young lads will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies.

‘Steroids have made me want to end my life. That stops now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.’

In the emotional video, the former Strictly star told his followers that he was sharing his story for ‘accountability’ and ‘integrity’, as well as to help people avoid making the same mistakes.

‘I’ve been taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years now, and these things have really, really messed with my life,’ he said.

John, who has struggled with body dysmorphia and bulimia, started taking them during lockdown after looking in the mirror and ‘hating’ what he saw.

‘I tried working out, I tried dieting, I was really strict with myself and my diet, but nothing changed,’ he explained. ‘I couldn’t gain muscle, I had layers of fat I couldn’t get rid of. Looking back, there was nothing wrong with me. I had a normal body.’

He noted that he’s always ‘had the love and support of people who loved me for who I was, not for what I looked like’.

He noticed ‘aesthetic results’ after taking them, which in turn got him more TV work.

‘When I got the job for Strictly, because I was so muscular, my codename they had for me was Hercules,’ he admitted. ‘The more that people acknowledged how I looked on steroids, the more I felt good about myself.’

John opened up about the physical impact of years of steroid use, including small testicles, and an ‘irregulated sex drive’.

‘I don’t know if I would have done OnlyFans if it weren’t for the complete and utter, one, horniness that the steroids give you at times, but two, they also give you such an inflated ego, they give you such a narcissism,’ he added.

‘I guess my levels will crash, I’ll probably have to go and see a doctor at some point, I’ll probably have a very low mood, but I am tired of being tethered to this solution.’

He insisted for now he’s avoiding going to his GP, as he doesn’t want to feel like a ‘burden on the NHS’.

‘This decision that I made, just to look a certain way, has taken so much from me. I’m responsible for this, it was my choice,’ he said. ‘I’m not being a victim here. I’m a man and I have to deal with the consequences of my actions.’

However, John hopes to use his own story to make sure young boys, such as his 15-year-old nephew, don’t fall into the same traps by chasing ‘unrealistic’ goals on Instagram.

‘I am genuinely worried for young lads who are growing up and seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,’ he said.

‘It will ruin everything, believe me. I t will take more than it gives you. You’ve only got one body so please just respect it. Let it do what it can do.’