When you think of Jon Lee, the first image that might pop up is that of the cheerful, boy-next-door from S Club 7, grinning through hits like Reach for the Stars and lighting up the screen in the late ’90s. But behind that infectious smile, Jon was battling a secret war with addiction—one that nearly took his life.
RELATED: Kavana’s ‘Pop Scars’ Exposes the Dark Side of Fame and Sex
Now 43, Jon Lee has bravely opened up about his struggles with crystal meth addiction, revealing just how deep into the darkness he sank. Speaking to MailOnline, he detailed how, at the height of S Club 7’s fame, he was spending £250 a week on crystal meth—more than he was paying on his mortgage. But the toll wasn’t just financial. “I didn’t even recognise myself at that time,” Jon confessed. “Sometimes, in the midst of one of the psychotic episodes where I’d be smashing my flat up with a hammer, I’d catch sight of myself in the mirror and say: ‘What the f**k?’”
RELATED: John Barrowman Opens Up About the Career-Ending Nude Scenes
It’s a chilling snapshot of addiction’s grip—psychotic episodes, paranoia, hallucinations, and the complete breakdown of one’s sense of self. But Jon wasn’t just battling the drug. He was also grappling with his identity and past trauma. In 2010, Jon publicly came out as gay in an interview with Gay Times, revealing that he had known his sexuality from a young age and had shared it with family and friends. Though he didn’t feel the need for a public declaration, the years spent hiding that part of himself added immense pressure, especially during S Club 7’s meteoric rise.
The pop star’s descent into addiction began long after S Club 7 disbanded, when Jon was in his thirties. He admitted that the pressure of finding fame at such a young age, coupled with years of hiding his sexuality, led him to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs. “I drank to curb the anxiety I felt about my sexual orientation being exposed,” Jon shared, revealing that after the band split, he drank almost daily and experimented with cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis.
But it was the loss of his father to motor neurone disease in 2014 that pushed him over the edge. Jon described a period of profound grief, where he turned to harder drugs, including the highly dangerous GHB (liquid ecstasy), to numb the pain. “I still can’t believe I did it,” he admitted, describing how he let a stranger inject him with drugs. “It’s the most disgusting, dangerous drug… and I went down that road.”
As his addiction took hold, Jon’s life began to unravel. The once successful young star, who had everything going for him, became isolated and paranoid. “I was terrified. I’d sleep with a hammer under the bed,” he said, recalling days spent in his flat, hallucinating that people were in his apartment. His paranoia reached a breaking point when he smashed his head through a bathroom door, convinced there was someone there.
Things reached a crisis in 2019, when Jon was sectioned after his neighbors called the police. “I remember I had to keep the door open, and someone sat outside. I suppose I was a danger to myself,” he said, acknowledging the deep despair he felt at that time.
But even in the depths of his darkest moments, Jon found a glimmer of hope. After being sectioned, he decided to leave the UK and embark on a life-changing journey. For three years, Jon traveled the world, funding his adventure through investments in property that generated rental income from his S Club days. It was on his travels in India that he met a rescue dog named Lolly, whose unconditional love and companionship gave him a sense of purpose he hadn’t felt in years.
That connection with Lolly became a turning point. In 2022, Jon returned to the UK, settled in Cornwall next door to his mum and sister, and started rebuilding his life. He also co-founded three rescue centres, dedicating himself to helping animals in need.
Meanwhile, the reunion of S Club 7 was in the works, and in May 2023, Jon joined his bandmates Tina Barrett, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O’Meara, and Rachel Stevens for a rebrand and reunion tour—though not without heartbreak. The band was still reeling from the untimely death of Paul Cattermole, a loss that Jon said profoundly impacted him. “I think I used the time to unpack my own life, go back through everything—and try to put it all back together,” Jon said, reflecting on the aftermath of Paul’s death. “I think it made me even more determined that I had to… live.”
Jon’s journey from rock bottom to recovery isn’t just a story about addiction—it’s about the powerful process of unlearning destructive habits, confronting deep-seated trauma, and finding new meaning in life. His journey to sobriety has been neither easy nor quick, but his openness about the struggles he’s faced is a testament to his resilience.
While the tabloids and fans may only remember Jon Lee as the bubbly pop star from S Club 7, his life today is a far cry from that image. In many ways, Jon is reclaiming his narrative—not just for himself, but for others struggling with addiction. “I’m not sure how I’m still here,” he admitted, a sobering acknowledgment of just how close he came to losing everything. Yet here he is, rebuilding, one day at a time.
Jon’s story serves as a reminder that fame, success, and wealth don’t shield you from the struggles of addiction—and that the road to recovery, while difficult, is always worth walking. Today, Jon Lee is a living testament to the power of second chances, healing, and the love that can save us when we least expect it.
Source: DailyMail
It’s always nice to learn someone I grew up listening to is gay. On another note though it’s sad to hear about his addiction, I struggled very similarly.