Music
23 Nov 16

Jason Donovan Reveals Liberal Attitude Towards His Kids Taking Drugs

Ex-Neighbours star Jason Donovan says he would prefer if his teenage children wanted to experiment with drugs that they would do so in the more safe environment of the family home in front of him – describing it as a form of “reverse psychology”.

The onetime heartthrob – who has confessed to taking Class-A drugs during the height of his fame – made the candid admission yesterday on the hugely popular TV show Loose Women.
The 48-year-old father of three children bravely spoke his mind about how he’d much prefer to see them experiment with illegal substances at home. ”I’m very open about these things… Life happens and you’ve got to educate your kids to make the right choices. It would be a terrible thing to say, but I almost feel like: ‘If you are gonna do it, bring it home and do it’ - does that sound weird?” he said.
"If you want to do it, do it in front of me right now and I’ll keep and eye on you. That’s how I feel about it… it’s a bit like alcohol in Europe where they’re allowed to drink.”
But the singer and actor – who enjoyed many chart hits in the UK and Ireland, including the duet ‘Especially For You’ with Kyle Minogue back in 1989 – insisted that he wasn’t promoting drugs with his liberal views.
“I’m not advocating drugs in kids in any way shape or form… It’s a bit of reverse psychology. I think good parenting and trying to support your kids as they grow up is an important part of it,” stated the Australian-born star.
Jason revealed back in 2007 that he tried his first line of cocaine at aged 18. In his autobiography entitled ‘Between The Lines: My Story Uncut’, he recalled thinking at the time, “This was a drug I could get a taste for.”
Jason has been clean for 16 year now and told a British tabloid in 2015 that he gave up drugs after the birth of his daughter. “It was 2000 and my daughter Jemma was born. The sun was shining and it was a new day. It was time to move on,” he recalled.
Fortunately, Jason was able to stop taking drugs without seeking professional help. “I didn’t do NA (Narcotics Anonymous). I didn’t do any of it,” he revealed last year.
“I totally appreciate that some people do need that and support groups are very useful, but you’ve got to want to change. And if you don’t want to change, no one is going to convince you to do it.”
Here’s a clip of Jason talking about parenting and drugs on yesterday’s show: