British golf YouTuber Rick Shiels has offered a candid account of his past struggles with alcohol. He revealed how repeated attempts to control his drinking eventually led him to reconsider his relationship with it. In a recent appearance on the On The Mend Podcast, Shiels recalled breaking a promise to his wife at a family wedding, an incident that made him realize how much his drinking habits were affecting his behavior at home.

Speaking to host Matt Willis, Shiels admitted that once he started drinking, he often struggled to stop. What initially felt like an enjoyable part of his social life gradually became something he no longer wanted to continue.

“Felt like I was losing control of my relationship with alcohol. When I would start drinking, it was like, I’m on. And I just never wanted the night to end. I wanted to carry on till it was bloody light the next day. And I think a lot of that comes from a time at college. I lived for nights out. I lived for Friday. I lived for Saturday going out. I’m waking up the next day just almost like thinking it was hilarious and funny that I was hung over and all these other things. I just got to a point probably in my mid-30s when I was like, I don’t want to do this anymore,” Shiels said.

Recognizing the problem did not immediately lead to lasting change.

Shiels revealed that he tried taking temporary breaks from alcohol, including periods of one month and three months. Although he managed to stay away from drinking during those stretches, returning to alcohol brought another challenge.

Rather than drinking less after the breaks, he found himself drinking even more.

“But when I come back, I actually came back harder,” the YouTube golfer admitted.

He explained that completing three months without alcohol sometimes created a sense that he had earned the right to drink more when he returned.

That cycle made him question whether short breaks were really helping.

His account also highlights the difference between being able to abstain temporarily and changing the behavior that previously made drinking difficult to control.

One incident stood out as a major wake-up call for Shiels.

“There was one time I went to my wife’s brother’s wedding. And I said, I’m not going to drink at the wedding. And my wife was like, oh, that’s nice. Because I was not a nice person when I was drinking. I don’t look after her as much. Don’t make sure we get home safely. Move the next day. I’m short with the kids. I eat crap the next day. I was there for half an hour and I’m there drinking. And so I got absolutely wasted at a brother’s wedding. And it was at that point I was like, no, this has to stop,” he said.

For Shiels, the issue was no longer limited to feeling unwell after a night out. He had made a commitment to his wife and failed to keep it.

As a result, Shiels decided to make some change. Interestingly, though, he did not initially decide that he would give up alcohol permanently.

Instead, he wanted to see how long he could continue without drinking.

Following the wedding incident, he set himself a target of staying alcohol-free until Christmas. The period eventually extended to approximately six months.

He initially assumed that Christmas would be the occasion when he returned to drinking. However, when the celebrations arrived, he stuck to his decision.

“I was like, that was good. I’m inevitably going to break it at Christmas. I didn’t. I was stuck to my promise. I didn’t drink at Christmas. I didn’t drink at New Year’s. I was like, wow, I’m kind of doing this,” Rick Shiels said.

His approach was gradual rather than based on an immediate declaration that he would never drink again. What began as an attempt to take a longer break eventually became a significant lifestyle change.

The latest interview adds further context to a sobriety journey Shiels had previously discussed publicly.

On July 8, 2025, he shared an update marking one year since he stopped drinking alcohol.

In his Instagram post, Shiels explained that the decision didn’t involve a major announcement or dramatic event. He simply felt that it was time to make a change.

He also highlighted several improvements he had noticed during the year, including more energy, better focus, and improved sleep.

The YouTuber also suggested the lifestyle change might have helped his golf game, although he acknowledged his scorecards didn’t always reflect it.

His transition was not without adjustments. He admitted that he initially replaced beer with food before eventually finding a healthier routine.

He also acknowledged missing the social aspect of drinking. However, alcohol-free beer allowed him to retain some familiar rituals, including enjoying a drink after a round of golf, without returning to the habits he had left behind.

On November 18, 2025, Shiels shared another milestone, marking 500 days without alcohol.

Reflecting on the changes, he wrote that he felt more present with his work, life, and family.

Social media pressure and fatherhood were part of the conversation

Beyond alcohol, Shiels and Willis discussed the challenges of maintaining a public profile and dealing with strangers’ opinions.

The podcast’s description highlights Shiels’ difficulty switching off, his relationship with social media, and the pressure that comes with being a recognizable figure online.

They also explored how online hate can affect someone’s self-image.

The discussion is particularly relevant given Rick Shiels’ position as one of golf’s most recognizable content creators.

He launched his YouTube channel in 2012 and had approximately 2.93 million subscribers when LIV Golf announced its multi-year partnership with Rick Shiels Media on January 24, 2025. The arrangement made him an ambassador and content creator for the league rather than a player on its roster.

The partnership also attracted criticism from sections of the golf audience. According to reporting from MyGolfSpy, his subscriber count fell from about 2.94 million on January 24 to 2.91 million by January 29, 2025, but has since risen to just over 3 million.

The wider conversation also returned to his role as a father. The podcast description explains that changing his relationship with alcohol and social media has helped him become more present with his children and family.

Rick Shiels’ latest revelations offer a more personal perspective on a decision he had previously discussed through milestone updates.

For a golf creator whose professional life involves constant interaction with an audience, those changes represent a personal shift that extends well beyond his relationship with the sport.