Adrian Chiles has confessed he is guilty of underage drinking.

Adrian Chiles

Adrian Chiles

The TV and radio presenter is fronting new show 'Drinkers Like Me' - due to air on BBC2 in August - about the British people's relationship with alcohol, and admitted he has been drinking since he was 14.

Adrian, 51, told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: "We've just started filming it. It's not about alcoholism, it's about social drinking, examining to what extent we're all addicted to alcohol.

"Alcohol is the glue that binds Britons together socially but why are we like that?

"I remember thinking back to my old school, to when you're 14 or 15 and all that mattered was getting hold of alcohol.

"And then blessed was the day when you could finally, actually go into a pub. But some people just can't moderate it to one relaxing beer to wind down at the end of the day.

"For those people, one drink leads to another. And that's the problem."

The TV presenter famously racked up a £500 bar bill in just over an hour with Christine Lampard as they marked the end of their time presenting ITV flop morning show 'Daybreak'.

Adrian has previously admitted he drinks, "loads".

In 2009, he told The Guardian: "I finish work at half seven and it's just the easiest thing to do - you're a bit knackered, you've got to go to bed soon and you can't really achieve much else. It's not a cop-out, but if you're quite famous, quite approachable, someone will always say, 'I'll buy you a drink and we'll talk about football.'"

Meanwhile, 'Match of the Day 2' presenter Adrian also revealed he will not be covering England's progress in the football World Cup in Russia this year - the first time he has missed the tournament in over a decade.

Adrian said: "I did three World Cups - Germany, South Africa and Brazil - but I'm not working this time, although I'd love to be going."


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