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Ousted Dancing With The Stars contestant Ben Cousins has revealed he is the 'happiest he has ever been' after overcoming a much-publicised battle with addiction.
And in a reflective interview with the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday, Ben said if he could turn back the clock he would have sought more positive influences on his life during his hour of need.
'If I had my time again, I would've like to have spend some time with the right person or people to at least see if there was other ways that I could go about it,' the former AFL player said.
The one-time footy star admitted that he was back in a positive headspace: 'Life's pretty good actually.'
'I'm in a good place and just got some ambition back and working and busy and the rest of it so, it's good. It's been a while coming.'
Marvelling at the change in Cousins' lifestyle, co-host Kyle remarked, 'Gee your life is different now.'
'What's better: being an athlete and being at the top of your game or not being at the top of your game and running around like a crazy mug lair?' Sandilands asked.
The retired athlete replied: 'My life is very different now but staying fit from a training point of view has always been a constant.'
Kyle then asked Ben if he had any advice for young people who might be starting to head down a similar dark path.
Ousted Dancing With The Stars star Ben Cousins has revealed that he is the 'happiest he has ever been' after overcoming a much publicised battle with addiction
'Have you got a message for young people... these kids, you know what they're like. They're not into the UDLs [pre-mixed alcoholic drinks], like we used to be. These kids are popping pills, these kids are out of control,' Kyle asked.
Ben revealed that being unhappy was at the root of his issues and complicating his life with drugs only made the situation more difficult.
'Everyone's got their own journey,' Ben said.
'I'm in a good place and just got some ambition back and working and busy and the rest of it so, it's good. It's been a while coming,' Ben told Kyle and Jackie O
'I'd like to think my story is a bit of a cautionary tale because I had my livelihood taken away. When I strip everything back in its simplest form, I wasn't happy for a long time and that sort of stuff didn't help but probably only made things harder.
'Once you go down that path it, can sometimes be a hell of a fight to get back and I wish mine hadn't taken quite as long.'
Ben added that if he could turn back the clock he would have sought more positive influences in his life.
'If I had my time again, I would've like to have spend some time with the right person or people to at least see if there was other ways that I could go about it.
'Everyone got their own things they grapple with at different times. No one gets an easy ride.'
Ben won the Brownlow Medal in 2005 and captained the West Coast Eagles from 2001 to 2005, securing the club's best and fairest awards four out of those season.
He played 238 games and booted 205 goals for the West Coast Eagles, where he won a premiership with the club in 2006.
'I'd like to think my story is a bit of a cautionary tale because I had my livelihood taken away. When I strip everything back in its simplest form, I wasn't happy for a long time and that sort of stuff didn't help but probably only made things harder,' Ben added
His public battles began in 2007 when rumours surfaced about his drug use amid incidents like abandoning his car to evade police and being found asleep outside a casino.
Despite efforts at rehabilitation, including stints in costly US rehab facilities, his struggles persisted, culminating in multiple arrests and legal issues.
Cousins continued to play professional football, even after being suspended from the AFL in 2007. He joined Richmond in 2009 but retired after two seasons.
He was jailed on six separate occasions in 13 years and spent seven months behind bars in 2020, when he apparently decided enough was enough.
Cousins' personal life also saw turbulence, with relationships strained and legal issues involving his former partner and children.
Ben's time on Dancing With The Stars was cut short on Sunday night when he got the chop in a brutal triple elimination alongside Adam Dovile and Shane Crawford.
'If I had my time again, I would've like to have spend some time with the right person or people to at least see if there was other ways that I could go about it,' he said
