Beloved Aussie comedian Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes has opened up about his difficult childhood, chronicling the impact of his late father’s alcohol abuse on his life.
Hughes, 54, spoke about his formative years during the latest episode of ABC’s Australian Story.
“There were definitely times [of] feeling stressed and scared, a lot of times,” he explained.
READ MORE: Beloved Aussie treat disappears from supermarket shelves
The radio presenter recalled arriving home from school to see his father’s car in the driveway, knowing his family was in for a difficult night.
Desmond Hughes – who died roughly 14 years ago – not only abused alcohol, but threatened his family with a gun he kept.
“Knowing there’s a loaded gun in the house and someone who is not mentally stable and drunk in the house, it’s not a relaxing way to go through your childhood,” Hughes said on the programme.
READ MORE: ‘Thought I was doing everything wrong’: Mum’s struggle
“I still remember when he brought it out one day and said, ‘I will shoot you all.’ That wasn’t relaxing,” Hughes shared.
Hughes would later struggle with his own addiction issues and turned to his mother, Carmel, for help.
“I hated myself. I thought I was schizophrenic. My mum took me to a doctor who said I’m not, but that my lifestyle wasn’t helping me,” he said.
READ MORE: Husband confirms Harry Potter star’s death
He gave up alcohol at the age of 21.
“I had the thought, ‘I don’t want alcohol to control my life, and as I’d seen it, control family members’ lives’. I didn’t want to be that. So, that was a big part of the reason why I stopped drinking. I felt like I’d taken the power back,” he said.
Hughes would eventually find his calling, beginning his career as a stand-up comedian. Still, he was plagued by self-doubt.
READ MORE: One dress and three words confirm model and NFL star’s next move
“I’m on stage, microphone in hand, trying to be funny. But most of my brain is going, ‘You are a loser. You are useless. You’re never going to be a success in life’,” he confessed.
Still, he forged on, carving out a successful career in comedy, radio, and television. He also has an family of his own with wife Holly Hughes and their children Rafferty, Sadie, and Tess.
It wasn’t until his mother Carmel’s death from cancer 18 months ago that Hughes began opening up about his childhood. His father died in 2010.
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
The Aussie Logie winners who became Hollywood stars
Despite his experiences with his father, he said he has made peace with it.
“People do what they do with the best of their abilities,” he said. “I didn’t hold a grudge against him at all, even though I’ve gone down a different path in the way I live my life.
“He was a wise man in many ways who would always say that family is number one and as I was chasing success over the years, maybe I didn’t agree with that. But now as I get older, I realise he was right.”
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
Hughes said if he could go back in time as he built his impressive career he wouldn’t be so focused on wanting to be “the most popular”.
”I would just stay in the present more and I would not have that internal monologue, which is basically narcissistic, morbid self-love, which I’ve had since I was probably four,” he said.
“Wanting to be the best and then being miserable because I’m not seen as being the best.”
READ MORE: Ugly truth saw singer’s wildest dreams come crashing down
And Hughes says he still has plenty to look forward to when it comes to his career.
“I love having an audience in front of me, and my job is to make them laugh. And I will love that forever,” he said.
“If I end up in a nursing home, I will be organising gigs in that nursing home because I love it.”
If you or someone you know is in need of support for addiction contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
