David Morrissey stars in the new Channel 4 drama Tip Toe but away from the screen he’s opened up about his health battle and famous ex
David Morrissey has opened up on his relationship with his famous ex-wife.
The actor stars in Tip Toe which makes its long-awaited premiere on Sunday, May 31, delving into the worlds of electrician Clive (Morrissey) and his neighbour, Canal Street bar owner Leo, played by Alan Cumming.
Having lived alongside one another relatively peacefully for the past 15 years, Clive and Leo rapidly become bitter enemies after the former’s deep-rooted prejudices are exposed.
The Channel 4 thriller will consist of five hour-long episodes, broadcast across the coming weeks. While Tip Toe isn’t directly based on true events, it draws inspiration from creator Russell T. Davies and his friends’ own personal experiences.
David, 61, is widely considered one of Britain’s most accomplished actors, whose extensive TV, film and stage credits have encompassed the ruthless, terrifying Governor in The Walking Dead, The Long Shadow, Gordon Brown in The Deal and a dedicated detective in James Graham’s Sherwood, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Away from the spotlight, David has spoken candidly about his “terrible” social anxiety that played a significant role in his battle with alcoholism, reports The Guardian.
“I am a recovering alcoholic,” David, who has remained sober for 21 years, told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. “Drinking first was about anxiety. I’ve had this terrible social anxiety and that helped me get through it.”
He revealed his drinking began during his teenage years following his father’s passing, and then “in my adult life, I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t drinking to be convivial. I was on my own in the pub. That was really hard and very hard for my ex-wife and people around me.”
The actor also disclosed the pivotal moment that transformed his life. After keeping the contact details of a former colleague linked to Alcoholics Anonymous for two years, David eventually reached out when he reached his lowest point.
“I was in a terrible, terrible state,” he recalled. “He came round my house and just sat with me. And I’ve not drank since that day.”
Who is David Morrissey’s famous ex-wife?
Prior to achieving stardom, the 61-year-old actor encountered his ex-wife, acclaimed British author Esther Freud, at drama school in 1993. The couple were together for more than a decade before marrying in 2006.
Esther is the daughter of the renowned painter Lucian Freud and the author of Hideous Kinky, My Sister and Other Lovers, Mac and Me, and I Couldn’t Love You More.
The duo married in 2006 during an intimate ceremony at Southwold Pier, and share three children: Albie, Anna, and Gene.
In 2020, the pair separated amicably after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together.
After their separation, Esther, 63, embarked on a new romance and marked her milestone birthday by globetrotting with her new partner.
She told Hello!: “It was fun to turn 60. Me and my boyfriend – I love using that word – went travelling for four months to Australia, Singapore and Laos. I came back just before my 60th birthday and had a wonderful party. It felt really good.”
Discussing her separation from David, Esther continued: “There wasn’t a huge amount of animosity or grievance really left.” She added. “I felt it was more that our communication had gone awry.
“I didn’t know what he wanted. I remember one day thinking, ‘I don’t even know what food you like. I don’t even know anything anymore. I’ve lost my link with this person who was like you’.”
Following his divorce, the Sherwood star has been romantically connected to theatrical agent Larah Simpson, with the pair first spotted together in December 2023.
Despite embarking on a new relationship, Morrissey revealed to The Times that he and his ex-wife, Esther, remain on good terms: “We’re all very close.”
“You know, my ex-wife and I are very close … we all see each other a lot.”
Tip Toe is available to watch on Channel 4.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
