Singer Marti Pellow told The Tommy Tiernan Show on Saturday night on RTÉ One that his recovery from addiction is "the thing that I'm most proud of with my life".
The former Wet Wet Wet frontman turned solo star shared his story when he and Tiernan began talking about being "powerless".
"I've had quite a dance with addiction, for instance," Pellow told the host. "And that (recovery) is the thing that I'm most proud of with my life. Not how many number ones I've had or how many ticket sales or am I big in Budapest or what's the units [that I've sold] .
"I think you have things happen in your life that are... You come to realise things like, 'Am I powerless over this?' or give yourself up to a higher power of some sort. So, for me, coming to terms with my addiction and getting help was a big revelation. To find myself on the bones of my arse and thinking, 'I need help'. So, I was powerless over that. And to be able to get knowledge about that was a big part of my life."
"Do you understand why you drank?" asked Tiernan.
"Yeah, it's like, for me, I was always going to be what [I was]," said Pellow. "That's it. I was predestined, that was it. Because I love things. I'm like, 'Love? I'm all in. Music? I'm all in. Food? We're eating good'. I'm like that."
"I'm passionate about what I do," Pellow continued. "Because it has to be because that's what charges my batteries. So, when I was coming to terms with my addictions and stuff like that - 26 years off the heroin, fantastic - you know, I'm really so proud of that."
"Was the heroin easier to stop than the drinking?" inquired the host.
"One leads to the other," Pellow replied. "Once again, it's all the same, it's all the same. I went from my 20s to, like, 10 or 13 years or whatever of every night being Saturday night. Consistently.
"And then you get a wee bit of a moment of clarity - or for me it was. And it was like, 'Woh. Things need to change here...' - to be able to do something. And that meant I parked up the music, I parked up the songs. It was interesting to see who came to the forefront, my family rallied around me, things got simple. 'We need you fixed...' 'Who do I need to speak to? Where do I go?'"
Pellow described it as "heartbreaking" that his mother witnessed his addiction.
"Nobody wants to cause pain to family members, nobody wants to do that. But it's a disease and everybody will know this who's dealt with any addict in their family, it echoes and reverberates throughout the family. We all get sick because we care. We care, and we wish to have our loved ones back."
"Your family and your blood comes to the forefront," Pellow recounted. "Real players in your life come. People you wouldn't expect - or I didn't expect. And that was very inspiring for me."
"Love," said Tiernan.
"Love, love, love. Every time, at the heart of it," agreed Pellow. "And I can deal with that. Very much so."
When asked if he could be "confident" in his sobriety, Pellow replied: "Aye, because it's there (pointing to shoulder). And I acknowledge it. It's always there. I never put it to bed. It's just part of my DNA. And I think by acknowledging it and always keeping looking at that wee monkey - 'Alright?' - and acknowledging him... Every day's a school day, constantly reminding it, and just keeping it in check."
Pellow brings his Love Is All Around Tour to Trinity College Dublin on 6 July and Custom House Square, Belfast on 23 August.
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The Tommy Tiernan Show, Saturdays, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
