Groping 2GB host Chris Smith loses job, family
FALLEN radio host Chris Smith has revealed he is a bipolar alcoholic after being taken off air for a lecherous drunken bender at 2GB's Christmas party.
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RADIO host Chris Smith has revealed he is a bipolar alcoholic after being taken off air for a lecherous drunken bender at 2GB's Christmas party.
A remorseful and emotional Smith yesterday also told The Sunday Telegraph that his latest alcohol-fuelled shocker had destroyed his family and could ruin his career.
The 45-year-old father-of-two said he was so drunk on champagne and red wine at the party and loaded on "the wrong antidepressants" that he became a "runaway train" and could not remember harassing four female colleagues or annoying two other workmates.
"I was in a crazy extended drinking mode," he said yesterday.
"That has happened to me a few times over the last decade - I just black out and that's what happened. I'm not saying by any means that that's an excuse. It's not."
The talkback host said his embarrassed and humiliated wife Ali and children had walked out of the family home after learning of his crazed night.
Although he can't remember any of it, he was told he had been "inappropriate" with four female workers - and even tried to kiss one.
Smith said each of the women had accepted his apology. It is understood that one of the women was weathergirl Magdalena Roze.
No official complaints were made about his behaviour, but he was suspended indefinitely yesterday by 2GB owner Macquarie Radio Network.
Smith said he was determined to get help for his alcoholism and save his marriage and family.
"They're probably going though it even worse (than me) because they're just humiliated and embarrassed by their husband and their dad," Smith said, struggling to hold back tears.
"My family's estranged from me at the moment. I totally understand that. It's the right course - my wife has taken the right course and I intend working on that.
Tomorrow, Smith's family leave on an overseas cruise without him. He will look to move out when they return in a week's time.
Tales of drunken misbehaviour litter Smith's past. During a boozy farewell party when chief of staff at the Nine Network's A Current Affair, Smith exposed himself to several women.
It has also been alleged that he fondled the breasts of a senior newspaper reporter while drinking at a corporate function.
"I've had some terrible problems handling alcohol," he said.
"It started about 15 years ago after I'd had some drama at Channel Nine and was demoted. From that moment, it triggered a really severe alcohol addiction. And then I had the dramas that have been mentioned before and then it went out of control.
"I realised 13 years ago that I had a problem and I sought psychological help. I had some long-term success dealing with alcohol, then there were some other problems - about five years ago, I was addicted again.
"I went back to the psychiatrist to try to sort it out and I was diagnosed as being bipolar. If you're bipolar and you have an alcohol problem then you're a runaway train. "Again, that's no excuse, but what I managed to do from three years ago when I was diagnosed bipolar was manage it with certain drugs."
Smith said he was not properly medicated at the party and had consumed too much alcohol.
"One thing I've always said on the radio is that if things go wrong, if you've done wrong, then you've got to man up. And this is excruciatingly painful in more than two, three, four ways, but you have to man up otherwise you can't' move on. I want to move on. You only get one shot at life, it's not a dress rehearsal and I want to move on."
