According to a report in The Sun, Kieran McCartney, who appeared on the BBC business competition The Apprentice, battled a cocaine addiction that saw him spending between £400 and £500 a week on the drug. The Sun reports that his addiction left him with suicidal thoughts. McCartney described the link between his drinking and drug use, stating, 'It always came if I had a few drinks.
I couldn’t drink without doing it. I’d maybe have four pints. Then I might have a little bit.
' His habit reportedly extended into his professional life, with The Sun reporting he used his work phone to message dealers in East London during company time, both before and after his time on The Apprentice. The timeline of his drug addiction relative to his appearance on the television show remains unclear. Socially, The Sun reports his friendship group dwindled as friends grew embarrassed by his behavior on drugs or alcohol.
McCartney also had a heavy drinking routine, reportedly spending hours in the pub five times a week and sometimes finding himself still up in the early hours despite having work the next day. He would feel 'awful' but would always go to work, according to The Sun. McCartney has strongly denied ever using cocaine while filming The Apprentice.
In his own words, he reflected on the experience: 'The Apprentice was an amazing experience — mentally very stressful. But I’m in a good place now. It didn’t even cross my mind once.
I would have loved a beer, absolutely. It was summertime. It was hot.
But drugs? No. Definitely not.
I had about 200 cigarettes on me when I went into the house. ' He also blasted those who said he looked 'wired' during the series. A key turning point in his recovery, according to The Sun, was Lord Alan Sugar's iconic 'you're fired' catchphrase, which proved to McCartney that he was able to give up his addiction.
The specific way the phrase helped him remains unknown. McCartney has credited his mother with being crucial to his survival, saying he 'probably wouldn't be here' if it wasn't for her, though the details of what specific call from her helped change his life have not been disclosed. Professionally, McCartney is an estate agent who, before appearing on The Apprentice, wanted to rehabilitate his profession's reputation.
What specific steps he has taken toward that goal are not detailed. He states he knows the property game inside out and needed Lord Sugar's investment to branch out on his own. 'I know the property game inside out.
The wins, the pressure, and the graft it takes to succeed. But now it's time to stop building someone else's business and start building my own,' McCartney said. He is continuing his bid to get a deal with Lord Sugar, though the current status of that effort is not specified.
McCartney, who told those online to stop and 'don't judge a book by its cover', reports that he is in a good place now.