Ep 81. Alcohol Rewind with Adrian Chiles

Why is it so hard to rethink our drinking and what does it actually look like to drink less without going “all or nothing”? In this special summer mini-series of The Big Drink Rethink, host Anna Donaghey revisits her most downloaded conversation with broadcaster and writer Adrian Chiles. Adrian shares his personal, honest journey from heavy to moderate drinking, not by swearing off alcohol, but by noticing when “enough is enough” and finding what works for him.

Adrian’s story brings clarity and realism to moderation, highlighting how even small changes can spark more joy, presence, and satisfaction, when we are conscious of what we drink.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Introduction

04:41 Adrian’s story: heavy drinking, shocking discoveries, and the wake-up call

07:12 Counting units: the power of writing it all down

09:29 Challenging “all or nothing”, why moderation might work for you

11:22 The impact of simply removing the drinks you don’t want

13:00 Mindful drinking and choosing what genuinely brings you joy

15:03 Why the first drink is magical (and the fifth, not so much)

23:06 Most people really do drink less than you think

27:20 Why “alcoholic” is an unhelpful label

30:08 Track your drinking, make it simple, take away the shame

33:52 The challenges and freedoms of moderation

35:22 Setting non-negotiables so the “sweet spot” can become your reality

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About the host Anna:

Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

Connect with Anna:

Website: thebeliefscoach.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Adrian Chiles:

Adrian is a familiar face on our televisions and a recognised voice on our radios. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 5 live since the day it started in 1994. On BBC television, he launched and presented ‘Working Lunch’, ‘Match of the Day 2’, ‘The One Show’ and ‘The Apprentice, You’re Fired’. He was also lead football presenter for ITV. He has a weekly column in The Guardian and writes regularly for the Sun and The Tablet. Last year Adrian wrote a brilliant book called ‘The Good drinker; how I learned to love drinking less’, following the making of a BBC documentary called ‘Drinkers like me’.

Mentioned in this episode:

To pre-order my book, What Are You Thirsty For on Amazon select here: https://amzn.eu/d/3v3T6Mq Or on Waterstones here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/what-are-you-thirsty-for/anna-donaghey/9781915780607