James Bulger’s dad reveals alcohol struggles on Loose Women: 'Those were dark days'
JAMES BULGER’S father, Ralph Bulger, revealed how he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism following the murder of his son in 1993 today on ITV chat show Loose Women.
Ralph Bulger opens up about alcoholism after losing James
Ralph told the Loose Women hosts how he had fallen into a rut, but also detailed how he was able to recover following the horrific murder of James.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of James’ murder, in an event which rocked the nation.
The toddler was tragically killed in 1993 by ten-year-olds Robert Thompson and John Venables after they took him from a shopping centre when he was with his mother.
Today, Ralph appeared on the show to discuss the aftermath of the murder, as Friday 16 March would've been James’ 28th birthday.
Ralph Bulger told of his struggles today on Loose Women
Coleen Nolan asked: “Initially, you took a very downward spiral, didn’t you, when it first happened.”
“I went to drink a lot,” Ralph explained.
Linda Robson queried: “Would you say that you became an alcoholic?”
“Well, those were the dark days really,” he answered.
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Jane Moore then questioned him on how much he would drink a day during this time.
“It varied, I could drink a bottle of whiskey and twelve cans,” he admitted.
He also then went on to divulge how he managed to put a stop to his problem.
Ralph told the panel: “I had a friend who did kickboxing, and he sort of took me under his wing.
James Bulger: Last Friday would've been James' 28th birthday
“I went through the boxing stage with him. I did a lot of training, it helped me a lot.”
Earlier this year, Ralph’s ex-wife and mother of James, Denise Fergus, appeared on the programme to discuss a book she had written about her son.
During her interview, Denise confessed she had experienced a heart-wrenching meeting with his ghost.
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.