New Dad Matt Breaks The Cycle

How Survivor Matt Beat His Drinking Demons.

While most parents of tiny tots may be focused on the daily details, such as sleep, potty training and introducing solids, first-time dad Matt Chisholm is already thinking ahead to when his boy is a teenager.

The Survivor New Zealand host – who celebrates seven years of sobriety in December – is determined that his boy Bede avoids following in his footsteps when it comes to alcohol.

“Chances are he’ll have the appetite for drinking,” says Matt, 40, as he and his wife Ellen, 32, wrangle their rambunctious nine-month-old at our exclusive shoot.

Matt adds, “Bede’s a massive chatterbox and an absolute show-off, so we know he’ll be social. Ellen and I will have to educate him about alcohol so the little bugger’s not tempted to steal grog, sneak out of the house in the middle of the night and drink with his mates.”

Now living an alcohol-free life after 20 years of problem drinking, Matt counts himself lucky he can call himself a father at all. Between the ages of 14 and 34 – when he suffered debilitating hangovers, blackouts, crippling anxiety and depression – a life without booze seemed impossible.

“At my worst, I didn’t even want a family – I didn’t want to put myself in a situation I knew I would stuff up,” the Fair Go reporter admits. “I had friends who had great relationships with alcohol and their partners. I didn’t have either and felt like I didn’t deserve it. If only I’d known how incredible life could be. Instead, I ran away from the things that scared me.”