Strictly contestant and Bake Off winner reveals steroid addiction

TV chef John Waite has revealed his five-year steroid addiction “made me want to kill myself”.

The 36-year-old is best known for winning The Great British Bake Off in 2012 and finishing second as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

In an emotional video posted on Instagram, The 36-year-old said he had been “taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years and these things really messed up my life.”

He said he is speaking out now in the hope that “young guys will think very carefully about how they treat their bodies.”

Waite is also known for hosting cooking segments on daytime shows such as ITV's Lorraine and Steph's Packed Lunch.

He told his followers he started taking steroids during lockdown “because I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw.”

Waite explained that he has bulimia, an eating disorder, and body dysmorphia, in which a person perceives defects in their own body that are often less noticeable to others.

He said: “The more people recognized what I looked like on steroids, the more I felt good about myself, I felt worthy.”

He said one of the side effects was that his testicles shrunk: “Now I have tiny balls, that's your headline,” he said.

Waite also said the steroids caused him to develop acne and an unregulated sex drive.

The chef and TV presenter said he decided to speak out after overhearing a young male member of his family discussing a “dangerously strong steroid”.

“I truly feel for the young guys growing up and seeing these unrealistic physiques on Instagram,” Waite said in the tearful video.

“You only have one body, so please just respect it, please just let it do what it can do, don’t try to push it, stretch, eat well, try to get to that place where you look in the mirror and see yourself with kind eyes.”

Taking steroids, he added, was “the dumbest decision,” adding that he was “tired of being tied to that decision.”

In the caption for the video, Waite concluded: “Steroids made me want to kill myself.

“Now it stops. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life.”

The BBC has contacted Waite for comment.

Anabolic steroid – an artificial substance that copies the male hormone testosterone – belongs to class C drugs, approved for personal use.

Pharmacists can dispense them, but only with a prescription.

But it is illegal to supply or sell them, including as gifts to friends. The maximum prison term is 14 years.

Seizures of anabolic steroids in the UK increased by 26% last year to 995,830 doses, most of which were found at UK borders.

There are no formal medical studies or recommendations on how to reduce the risk of taking them.

Steroids stop many normal body functions, including sperm production. Side effects such as testicular shrinkage. may be reversible when men stop taking the drug, but this can take years and is often not complete.

If you are affected by any of the issues described in this story, you can find support through BBC Action Line.