Tom Holland has opened up about the benefits he experienced after giving up alcohol, revealing he ‘feels the happiest I’ve ever been in my life’.
The Spider-Man star, 27, explained candidly about his relationship with alcohol before giving it up.
He became ‘really worried’ that he had a problem with alcohol and decided to make a change after he tried Dry January – a month in which people are encouraged to give up alcohol.
Holland said he had realised he was ‘obsessed’ with drinking during an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, which was released on Monday (10 July).
The young star said he did Dry January last year but the month of sobriety has since lasted a year and a half.
YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast
“I didn’t one day wake up and say, ‘I’m giving up drinking’. I just, like many Brits, had had a very, very boozy December. [It was] Christmas time, I was on vacation, I was drinking a lot and I’ve always been able to drink a lot,” he said
Holland said he was struggling with his drinking, explaining that he ‘couldn’t think about anything but having a drink’.
This worried him, so he decided to abstain from alcohol for two months but after two months, Holland was still struggling. “All I could think about was having a drink. That’s all I could think about. I was waking up thinking about it. I was checking the clock, ‘When’s it 12pm?’
The Uncharted actor explained: “It just really scared me. I just was like, ‘Wow, maybe. Maybe I have a little bit of an alcohol thing’.
“So I sort of decided to punish myself and say, ‘I’ll do February as well. I’ll do two months off. If I can do two months off, then I can prove to myself that I don’t have a problem’.
YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast
“I felt like I couldn’t go to the pub and have a lime soda. I couldn’t go out for dinner. I was really, really struggling and I started to really worry that maybe I had an alcohol problem.”
After two difficult months without having an alcoholic drink, The Crowded Room actor then decided to challenge himself to be sober until his birthday, 1 June to ‘prove to myself that I don’t have a problem’.
Holland found that, by the time he reached his deadline, he was ‘the happiest I’ve ever been in my life’.
“I could sleep better. I could handle problems better. Things that would go wrong on set that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride. I had such better mental clarity. I felt healthier, I felt fitter,” he explained.
“I just sort of said to myself, like, ‘Why? Why am I enslaved to this drink? Why am I so obsessed by the idea of having this drink?’”
The Hollywood star also said being an avid fan of rugby involved drinking a lot, which meant he had to ‘distance’ himself from the sport.
“I just felt so much pressure, and this is one of the [reasons] why I’ve sort of distanced myself from the rugby community, because so much of it is about how much can you drink,” he shared.
“Let’s get you as drunk as possible… It’s honestly been the best thing I’ve ever done.”
If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, please visit The American Council on Addiction and Alcohol Problems website here.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast / Instagram/@tomholland2013
Topics: Celebrity, Tom Holland, Health
Gregory Robinson
Zendaya unfollows Tom Holland on Instagram
Actress Zendaya has unfollowed everyone
Don’t panic folks, but Zendaya has unfollowed Tom Holland on Instagram.
The Spider-Man stars have long been friends, and sparked up a romance in 2021 following campaigning from Marvel fans.
The two actors largely keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but share the odd gushy Instagram post about each other – usually on each other’s birthdays.
Back in September, Zendaya caused a frenzy online after fans believed she posted a snap of her wearing an engagement ring; but she was quick to debunk the rumors, pointing out that the ring was on her right hand (not her left).
She said at the time: “I posted [the picture] for my hat… Like, not for the ring on my right finger, you guys. Seriously, you think that’s how I would drop the deuce? Like, what?!”
Fast forward four months and Zendaya has unfollowed her beau Tom on Instagram, sparking fears that they may have called time on their relationship – the start to 2024 that no one wanted.
The Euphoria favorite boasts a whopping 184 million followers on the social media outlet and now follows no one back.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
People have taken to X to share their worries that Zendaya and Tom have broken up.
Someone said: “Whyyyy did Zendaya remove Tom from Instagram???? Mama miaaaa don’t let it be…”
“Break up news is coming I fear,” a second added.
“For the glory of my mother! Don’t scare me like that,” a third went on to say of the prospect of the pair splitting up.
But many others have noted that Zendaya’s Instagram purge is likely to be linked to her two new upcoming movies and wanting to her make her account more for promotional purposes.
She has both Dune: Part Two and The Challengers coming out in the coming months.
“I assume like most major celebs, she has a finsta and has simply decided to turn this account into strictly business/fashion/PR,” someone suggested on Reddit.
Another added: “I’m pretty convinced that celebrities’ verified accounts are mostly for publicity, including the types of posts they make and who they follow/don’t follow, and that they have secret personal accounts for everything else!”
A different person went on: “I don’t think that’s why she unfollowed everyone. Z hasn’t been on IG for months. I think she’s only keeping the account for work purposes.”
UNILAD has contacted Zendaya’s representatives for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images / Karwai Tang/WireImage
Topics: Zendaya, Tom Holland, Instagram, Sex and Relationships, Celebrity
Niamh Shackleton
Man who went to school with Tom Holland shares what he was like
People have been warned to ‘watch out’ for the man who shared what Tom Holland was like whilst they were at school together.
A man who went to school with Tom Holland has shared what the Spider-Man star was really like as a youngster – and his comments are surprising to say the least.
After hearing Taylor Swift’s former schoolmate’s unfiltered thoughts about the ‘Anti-Hero’ singer, now one of Holland’s old school pals is here to spill the tea.
You can see what he had to say below:
It’s always interesting to get an insight into what celebrities are like outside of the lights, camera, action.
But when the celeb’s public image is so far away from what people have said about them, it’s difficult to know who to believe.
From his sweet relationship with co-star Zendaya to his candid comments about mental health, Holland comes across as an all-round lovely guy.
But Made in Chelsea’s Miles Nazaire, who it turns out went to school with Holland, didn’t have fond memories of the beloved Spider-Man actor.
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images / YouTube/@thenotsofitcouple
Nazaire was recently a guest on the Not So Fit Couple’s podcast, talking about what the Hollywood star was like at high school.
And to put it nicely, he wasn’t exactly complimentary…
He said: “He was a d***.
“No, he’s really lovely, he’s such a nice guy, we have a mutual friend.
“But at school he just did that movie when he was really young, called The Impossible.
“And he came in and he’d just started school.
“And he was like, ‘I’ve just done a film’, you know all that.
“We were all like ‘oh come on’.”
People in the comments of the clip were confused as to whether he thought Holland was a nice guy or not, because the first two sentences were slightly contradictory.
One said: “He’s a dick… but honestly he’s a lovely guy
“Huh?”
Instagram/@tomholland2013
Another said: “The way he backtracked on his words…. Jealousy and projection 101.”
A third user warned of Nazaire’s behaviour on the podcast, saying: “This is one of those individuals that you have to watch out for.
“An admitted opportunist and quick to throw you under the bus – likely with exaggerations.”
However, a couple of people came to his defence, saying: “How do you know how Tom was acting around this guy?
“His personal experience with him is an individual example.”
Tom and Zendaya were the topic of conversation in celebrity relationship drama this week.
Breakup rumours circulated after Zendaya unfollowed everyone on Instagram.
However, Tom put everyone’s mind at rest in an interview when he categorically denied the rumours.
UNILAD has contacted a representative for Tom Holland for a comment.
Featured Image Credit: Lionel Hahn/Getty Images / YouTube/@thenotsofitcouple
Topics: Tom Holland, Zendaya
Mia Williams
Zendaya explains why she keeps her relationship with Tom Holland private
The Spider-Man stars are everyone’s favourite couple, but fans don’t actually know that much about them
They might be the cutest couple on the block who we’re all obsessed with, but we don’t exactly know that much about Zendaya and Tom Holland’s relationship.
Fans have to stick Spider-Man on for the millionth time if they want to remind themselves of what kind of chemistry the pair share, as they are notoriously private about their personal lives.
Don’t get me wrong – we get the odd red carpet appearance or tidbit from an interview, but we haven’t exactly seen the couple on an episode of Mr and Mrs, have we?
Then again, Zendaya couldn’t help but gush about her man during a recent interview with British Vogue, as she recalled how she was there to ‘watch his life change in front of him’ thanks to his Spider-Man success.
The Challengers star said: “My career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight.
“One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man.”
She said it’s been easier to come to terms with being famous with Tom by her side, saying she had become used to being thought of as an ‘art piece you’re going to take a picture of’.
“I just gotta be totally cool with it and just live my life,” Zendaya added.
Tom Holland and Zendaya have been dating since 2021. (Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
Although the actress seems like she’s come to terms with being a popular public figure, she isn’t that keen on inviting everyone into her relationship with her other half.
The A-lister explained that she prefers to keep schtum about her life with Tom as they both felt ‘robbed’ of their privacy when they went public three years ago.
In an interview with Elle last year, Zendaya said: “Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love.
“But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide.
“That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
Both of them like to keep their relationship as private as possible (Instagram/@tomholland2013)
The couple kept their relationship a secret for months and it is something they did intentionally, which Tom explained was due to the fact that ‘privacy isn’t really in our control anymore’.
“Our relationship is something that we are quite protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible,” Tom also told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023.
“We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”
The Uncharted actor also said he feels he shares enough of his life with the world as it is, so he wants to keep his moments with Zendaya all to himself.
And who can blame him?
Featured Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images/Instagram/tomholland2013
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Celebrity, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Hollywood, Spider-Man
Olivia Burke
Tom Holland says he will only return as Spider-Man under one condition
The Marvel star explained what it would take for him to return to the superhero role
Tom Holland has revealed that he’d only revive his MCU character of Spider-Man under one very specific condition.
Over the course of five years and four movies, Holland has well and truly made himself known as our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
He first swooped on to the scene in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War before starring in three of his own movies, ending with Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.
But while Holland’s first few appearances as Spider-Man fell close together, we’re now two years on from No Way Home, and there’s still no word on whether fans will get a sequel.
While Holland has admitted that a new film has been discussed, he made clear he wouldn’t come back just for the sake of it.
Speaking during a press conference with the Critics Choice Association, Holland said: “All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character.
“Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing.”
Marvel Studios
The actor went on to explain that he feels ‘very protective over Spider-Man’, adding: “I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one.”
Instead, Holland has one condition for making a new Spider-Man film: “It will have to be worth the while of the character.”
It might not be the guarantee fans have been hoping for, but Holland made clear that he’s very much still invested in the role, and would come back for the right reasons.
Marvel Studios
He continued: “That said, if we can figure that out, I would be a fool not to put the suit back on again because I owe everything to Spider-Man.
“I love the character and the people I get to work with. So, I would love to tell another story, but I’ll only tell it if we can find the right one”.
