The glamorous stereotype of the party animal, permanently sloshed celebrity, flitting from glamorous party to glamorous party, getting more boozed as the night (or day) goes on, is a lot further from the truth than many of us think.
It turn out, there are loads of A-list Aussie celebs who are actually total teetotallers, not touching a drop of alcohol – ever.
Their motivations are hugely varied.
Some prefer to abstain from booze because they’re just sick of the hangovers, while others want to live a healthier lifestyle overall, and some have complex histories with substance abuse, so staying away from alcohol is an absolute necessity.
Whether you’re looking at quitting booze altogether or just want a bit of motivation to help you cut back or take a short break from drinking, these celebs will offer you some inspiration as you seek to walk down the straight and narrow path.
Keep on scrolling to meet these celebrities who don’t drink alcohol.
David Campbell
David has been sober for close to a decade.
(IMAGE: Getty)Alcoholism runs in the Aussie TV host’s family, with his father Jimmy Barnes battling an addiction to alcohol for years.
“There is addiction on both sides of my family and I was standing at the doorway of a very dark room,” he wrote in a piece for The Daily Telegraph.
It was one really bad hangover that made him quit for good. “I changed my habits so that they have an example of someone who doesn’t drink. In doing so, I hope I’ve stopped the cycle of alcoholism in my family.”
In April 2023, David celebrated 9 years of sobriety, taking to his Instagram to celebrate: ”9 years sober this week. I was in Broome with my wife and son (pre twins),” David wrote of the photo shared.
”This happy photo of me is from this time once I made the decision. I am still happy. Like a weight has been removed from my shoulders (and liver). Stay strong. If you are struggling seek help.”
Dave Hughes
Dave has been sober since he was just 21.
(IMAGE: Getty)In August 2022, the radio comedian celebrated an impressive 30 years sober, revealing to our sister publication New Idea that after confronting a ”low point” at the age of 21 he knew something had to change.
”I’d been a bad drunk from the age of probably fourteen or fifteen. I’d always obliterate myself. I was always out of control when I drank, and I didn’t like myself afterwards.”
His battle with the bottle only got worse as time went on and by the time he was approaching his twenties, Hughesy was struggling with mental health issues because of it.
“It made me really stressed and I was depressed, there’s no doubt about it,” he recalled of that dark time in his life.
“I’d just dropped out of university because I wasn’t able to focus. I was at a low point in my life basically.”
But it wasn’t until he was 21 that he found the courage to make a change – and make it last.
“It was Christmas Eve 1992 that the decision was made for me, by me, that I wasn’t going to drink again. So yeah, and here we are almost thirty years later,” he revealed.
Osher Gunsberg
In his critically acclaimed 2018 memoir Back, After the Break, Osher details his journey in greater detail.
(IMAGE: Getty)Best known for his time as a host on [V], Australian Idol and The Bachelor, Osher is a beloved Australian media personality.
He’s also been vocal about his struggles to remain sober following years of battling alcoholism and mental health issues.
Despite being sober for 12 years, Osher has admitted that he still needs to be ”so careful” every day.
”I watch my input of what I look at, read and listen to, and also the people I spend time with. I have to be so careful with that,” he revealed to Body+Soul.
Whilst filming Australian Idol, Osher admitted to Now to Love that his drinking became so out of control that he barely remembers his time on set.
”I did it, I was there, I remember parts of it..but I don’t remember seasons two, three and four basically.”
”I don’t even know who he is,” Osher said, reflecting on his past self.
”He is a stranger to me. Life was very different for me; I was drinking a lot. But the kind of man I was back then is very different to the man I am now.”
In his critically acclaimed 2018 memoir Back, After the Break, Osher details his journey in greater detail.
Matt Agnew
Matt went sober shortly after wrapping up on The Bachelor.
(IMAGE: Instagram)In March 2022, the former Bachelor celebrated two years since giving up alcohol.
“I haven’t spoken much publicly about the choice I made 2 years ago, but I was proud of myself for hitting this milestone and wanted to share,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Everyone has their reasons for choosing not to drink alcohol. For me, drinking was putting an ever-increasing strain on my mental health. I’ve felt much better making the choice to avoid it altogether. Alcohol is the only substance that people will ask why you don’t do it.
The 35-year-old said it’s important to remind people that “there’s no problems in having a drink, but equally there’s no problems in not having a drink either.”
Then in November 2022, Matt spoke with our sister publication WHO about his journey to saying ‘no’ to alcohol.
”You do stand out when you’re not drinking and there’s this line of inquiry where people need to understand why you aren’t drinking. There needs to be some kind of rationale behind it,” he explained.
”Alcohol is the only drug where people ask you why you’re not doing it – no one asks why you’re not doing heroin he continued”.
He most recently discussed his journey to sobriety on Last Drinks podcast with Maz Compton which you can listen to here.
Chrissy Swan
Since COVID, Chrissy has been on a full on health kick, loosing more than 90kg in the process.
(IMAGE: Instagram)This beloved TV and radio host revealed that she gave up booze because it ”wasn’t serving her” to ease her anxiety and transform her health.
Speaking on The Project in 2021, Chrissy revealed that she was relying on alcohol to deal with the anxieties of COVID lockdowns.
‘It was a decision I made for myself after giving it a fair nudge in the first lockdown last year,’ she said at the time.
‘I do recommend it. If you’re thinking, “oh, maybe I’m drinking a bit much” or “it’s not helping me anymore”, I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from it, is that it didn’t help.
‘With the pressures and anxieties and worries and being responsible for kids and their whole life has changed and you’re their parent, you feel enormous guilt, though it’s all out of your control, you kind of feel like having a few drinks will take the edge off – and a couple of drinks does, but eventually it’s at the stage where it doesn’t help and it certainly wasn’t helping me.’
Keith Urban
Keith says his wife Nicole ”saved his life” after forcing him to go to rehab.
(IMAGE: Getty)The country music star and husband of Nicole Kidman used to be addicted to alcohol, but is now totally sober and a complete family man, devoted to his wife and their two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.
In a 2022 profile for The Sunday Times, Keith revealed that his wife had ”saved his life” by staging an intervention and forcing him into rehab mere months into their marriage.
”I had to find a different way to be in the world,” Keith said.
”Everyone does what they want to do to have a great time. I just realized I’m allergic to [substances]. Someone said, ‘You have an allergy? What happens when you drink?’ And I said, ‘I break out in cuffs.”’
Ruby Rose
Ruby has been sober for the majority of her adult life.
(IMAGE: Getty)The Aussie actress has been fully sober for years.
Explaining her decision to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2013, she said: “Alcoholism runs in my family, so it just got to a point where I was either run full pace and do the jobs that I love doing and turn up and be healthy and happy, or I can try to do both [drink and work] and one’s going to give. I was getting sick because I have depression, so it wasn’t doing me any favours in that department. As soon as I quit, I felt happier. It’s the best decision I have made.”
Rob Mills
Rob says not drinking helps him feel ”more present.”
(IMAGE: Getty)In 2020 Rob announced he was taking part in Dry July to make a conscious effort to cut down on his drinking.
After a month of sobriety, the now almost 40-year-old decided to make the change permanent, admitting that he used to turn to booze to cope with his life and his depression that left him unable to get out of bed.
”I was just going through the motions and found myself caught up in a routine of unhealthy habits of drinking more, scrolling aimlessly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and obsessing over the solutions to COVID-19,” Rob told The Daily Mail in September 2020.
”None of these things were good for me. They made me feel increasingly angry at the world. A lot of days, I just didn’t want to get out of bed. I couldn’t see the point.”
But after reconnecting with friends and completely cutting out alcohol, Rob says he ”found joy” once more.
”For me, drinking less was an important step in getting out of the hole I felt caught up in.”
”Drinking less helps me feel more present, and I can’t be that way when I’m smashing loads of drinks.”
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