Grant Denyer addressed past speculation of a drug habit on Thursday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
And now a Woman’s Day article that sparked the false rumours has resurfaced.
The 43-year-old TV host was asked about the allegations on the show by his co-star, Toni Pearen, after a 2014 report by the magazine claimed he had checked into a Thai rehab facility.
Speaking out: Grant Denyer (pictured) addressed past rumours of a drug habit on Thursday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
In the February 2014 story, Woman’s Day reported that Grant and his wife of 10 years, Chezzi Denyer, had sought treatment for an ‘ice’ habit at The Cabin rehab facility in Thailand.
The magazine also claimed that the Family Feud host had a $200,000 a year methamphetamine addiction.
Grant vehemently denied the rumours and released a statement at the time claiming he would take legal action against the publication, which never eventuated.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in July 2014, Woman’s Day stated: ‘As far as we are aware, no legal proceedings have been entered into at this time. Woman’s Day stand by our story.’
Revisiting the past: The 43-year-old TV host was asked about the rumours by his co-star, Toni Pearen (right), after a 2014 report by Woman’s Day magazine claimed he had checked into a Thai rehab facility
Grant’s agent, Titus Day, told Daily Mail Australia at the time that while legal proceedings had been considered, it ultimately proved to be too costly for the star.
‘Legal fees were quoted to be over $1million and at least two years wait until there would be a trial. That was a significant consideration at the time and probably still is,’ Day said.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in 2014, Grant labelled the publication of the story ‘a very hurtful and an uncomfortable thing’.
Claims: In the February 2014 story, Woman’s Day reported that Grant and his wife of 10 years, Chezzi Denyer (left), had sought treatment for an ‘ice’ habit at The Cabin rehab facility in Thailand
‘It was a cruel article by a silly magazine, so I don’t worry about it too much. If sticks and stones hurt me too badly I probably shouldn’t be in television,’ he added.
At the time of the allegations, Day issued a statement resolutely denying them, saying Grant was being treated in Thailand for an ‘ongoing unknown stomach illness’.
‘The wellness centre they attended in Thailand specialises in the treatment of PTSD and exhaustion, and they spent four weeks there to finally address these ongoing health concerns,’ he said.
Damning: The magazine also claimed that the Family Feud host had a $200,000 a year methamphetamine addiction
Grant also addressed the rumours on Thursday’s episode of I’m A Celebrity, where he emotionally denied the report.
‘For me, the worst of it happened at a time when I was at my worst and wasn’t very strong,’ he began.
‘I basically had chronic fatigue. I’d run myself into the ground. Yeah, it was a horrible period. I was the breadwinner. And, you know, we had a kid.’
‘For me, the worst of it happened at a time when I was at my worst and wasn’t very strong,’ he began, before growing emotional
Grant said his exhaustion made him unable to fulfil his obligations at Channel Seven, who he was employed by at the time.
‘Someone sold a story to a magazine that claimed we had a significant drug issue. That wasn’t true. Just, you know, how do you counter so many stories and articles once the gossip machine is fired up?’ he continued.
‘They’re totally made up, ludicrously ridiculous stories that are just fabricated to sell magazines. It was hard. It was really hard. You don’t know what to do. You’re so scared.’
‘You just don’t know where to run ’cause they’re coming at you from every angle and you just want to go and never come back. So we got away from it all. We went overseas and just worked on ourselves,’ he said
He added: ‘You just don’t know where to run ’cause they’re coming at you from every angle and you just want to go and never come back. So we got away from it all. We went overseas and just worked on ourselves.’
An emotional Grant admitted that Chezzi, 40, ‘had a fair bit of PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] from it all’, while he was concerned he’d never land another television job.
‘I’m surprised that anybody touched me after that. I really am. But Family Feud came along and, as I said in my Gold Logie speech, it saved my career and it also saved me,’ he admitted, wiping away tears from his eyes.
Denial: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in 2014, Grant labelled the publication of the story ‘a very hurtful and an uncomfortable thing’