In his upcoming autobiography, The Life and Loves of a He Devil, talk show host Graham Norton says that Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher persuaded him to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings but that he ultimately decided not to abstain.
In the book, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, Norton says: "I have actually been to a few meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous thanks to my friend Carrie Fisher, she of Princess Leia fame.
"Her problems with addiction are well documented and she persuaded me to accompany her to an AA session in Los Angeles."
He continues: "Initially, I was reluctant because I feared I would realise I was the same as these people who told nostalgic stories about their crazy nights and how long they had been dragged by alcohol.
"I realised at those AA meetings that, although we did share some of the same stories, I had reached a very different ending from the others."
Norton then explains: "I prefer my life with booze in it, but the members I met didn't have that choice to make. They couldn't live if drink remained in them.
"If I had to choose between booze and work, I would pick work without hesitation, but what is the point of life if you can't sometimes release the inner moron?"
He continues: "It goes back to the glass of wine I have on my chat show - I know exactly why I'm drinking it, and while I may later end up flailing around a dance floor like a member of the living dead, I like to think that I am in control of the bigger picture."
Norton adds: "Of course, I may be wrong. The big question is: do I have a problem? On one level, I obviously do because I drink far too much. But on the other hand, my rationale would be: where's the harm?
"Yes, it makes me fatter than I'd like to be and perhaps I would sleep better if I occasionally went to bed sober, but my work has never suffered because of drinking."
The book will be published on Thursday October 23.
