Not Just James McAvoy: Celebs Who Quit Alcohol After Drinking Too Much In COVID-19 Lockdown

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused many celebrities to change their drinking habits. Some A-listers found that their alcohol consumption increased due to the general stresses of the times, while others realized that their drinking habits changed when they shifted from drinking socially to drinking in isolation. In many ways, these celebrities' stories reflected the larger shift in alcohol consumption people experienced during the pandemic. 

A 2020 study in JAMA Network Open sought to determine how much more alcohol Americans were drinking during the pandemic. After analyzing the data of 1,540 participants aged 30 to 80, researchers found that respondents were drinking 14% more frequently after the stay-at-home orders were put in place. Likewise, a 2024 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which compared the data of over 24,900 adults aged 18 or older between 2018 and 2020, found that heavy alcohol consumption increased by over 20% in the group during the height of the pandemic. 

A 2025 study in PLOS One featuring 26 participants from the National Alcohol Survey found several potential reasons why drinking increased during the pandemic. Some participants drank more during the day because they no longer had the professional or personal obligations that prevented them from doing so in the past. Several respondents said they drank more to cope with the feelings of loneliness, stress, isolation, boredom, and anxiety that were heightened during the pandemic. Others found that drinking was one of the few ways in which they could experience positive emotions at a time when social experiences were scarce. These experiences extended to celebrities, many of whom also found themselves drinking more during the pandemic before deciding to pursue sobriety. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Based on James McAvoy's past interviews, it would appear that he once viewed his relationship with drinking through a lighthearted lens. For instance, in a September 2024 LADBible interview, McAvoy joked that although he loved whiskey, it was best for him to keep his intake under two glasses because any more would compel him to start arguments. However, his views on drinking actually changed during the pandemic. 

During an October 2026 appearance on the "Dear Chelsea" podcast, the "Atonement" actor shared that before the lockdown, he didn't bring alcohol into his home unless he had people over, and mostly only drank on nights outs with friends. However, during the pandemic, he started drinking by himself at home. McAvoy stressed that although his drinking hadn't gotten out of hand, he still felt that it was better to get things under control. And so, he decided to quit drinking cold turkey. Initially, McAvoy didn't face many challenges while cutting alcohol out of his life. However, over time, he experienced stressful periods that made him want to have a little bit of alcohol. 

Eventually, the "Speak No Evil" actor realized that he is more than happy to exist in whatever mental state he is in rather than the state alcohol created. After giving up alcohol, McAvoy has a newfound appreciation for the smaller and more mundane things in life. Detailing his reasoning for this change, he said, "Because of the level of sort of adrenaline I was chasing, 'cause I was constantly spiking my adrenaline with a substance. It was making the enjoyable stuff that isn't adrenalized really hard to connect with."

In a June 2020 Variety interview, Miley Cyrus shared that she had been completely sober for six months. Initially, the "Flowers" hitmaker went sober to support a vocal cord surgery she had undergone. The decision to stop drinking only became more permanent when she realized that she had a family history of addiction and mental health issues. However, Cyrus soon became one of the many celebrities who gave up alcohol but then reintroduced it into their lives. 

During a December 2020 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" (via E! News), the Grammy winner shared that she had started drinking again during the pandemic. While discussing her journey, Cyrus said she stopped getting a dopamine hit from gaining more followers through the Instagram Lives she did during the lockdown. She also told Stern that drinking alcohol negatively impacted her relationships. Meanwhile, in an appearance on "The Zane Lowe Show," she admitted that reintroducing alcohol into her life was a misstep because she wasn't a "moderation person." Additionally, when the "Hannah Montana" alum drank, she was more likely to contact people she had stopped speaking to. 

With all these realizations, Cyrus ultimately decided to stop drinking, telling Lowe that she had been two weeks sober at the time of their November 2020 interview. Discussing how sobriety has positively impacted her with CBS in October 2025, Cyrus said, "I like showing up 100 percent, 100 percent of the time." She added, "I love that, if anything comes in, an opportunity, I can say yes knowing that I'm going to be ready. I don't have to get ready."

In a March 2021 GQ interview, Margo Price admitted that plenty of things weighed on her mind during the COVID-19 lockdown. For one, the country singer worried that all the blood, sweat, and tears she had poured into her career might just go to waste due to the pandemic. She wrote about the stresses of losing job opportunities, stepping away from touring, and ultimately feeling as though she was spending the best years of her career locked away. Price was also anxious about all the chaos that had sprung up in the world due to COVID-19 and the general political state of the world. Due to reasons like these, she started drinking more frequently during the lockdown. It wasn't until Price read Holly Whitaker's "Quit Like a Woman" that she took a closer look at her relationship with alcohol and decided to practice sobriety in early January 2021. 

In August 2023, Price told The New Yorker that she chose to keep her sobriety a secret from her band for months. To avoid raising suspicion, she went so far as to swap out alcoholic beverages for non-alcoholic counterparts while they were hanging out. She explained that she initially thought sober people were "the damaged ones," adding, "I didn't want to admit that I'm the person who's got the disease." Once she became more comfortable, though, she openly gushed about how sobriety has changed her life. "I feel like I'm in the best head space of my life," she told People in March 2025. "I feel like my creative juices are functioning on all cylinders and I just feel really happy."

In a "day one" Instagram post, Gary Holt shared that he had decided to quit drinking on June 15, 2021. While appearing on the "Backstaged" podcast the following month, the Exodus guitarist shared that he came to that decision after realizing his drinking habits changed during the lockdown.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gary would only drink three or so beers while watching football. He also wasn't a big drinker when he wasn't on the road. However, during the pandemic, Gary's at-home alcohol consumption exceeded what he used to have when he was touring. Some days, he would have no alcohol whatsoever; on other days, he could have up to 12 beers. Over time, Gary also noticed that he was unable to be the best husband due to his alcohol consumption. He stressed that while he doesn't think he was an alcoholic at the time, he still felt that his changes in his drinking habits and behaviors during the pandemic warranted a change.

The metal guitarist told Revolver Magazine in July 2021 that he ultimately decided to practice sobriety upon his wife Lisa's suggestion. Then, reflecting on five years of sobriety in a June 2026 Instagram post, Gary wrote, "Kinda amazed at how long it's been, how positive a choice it's been for me (and people in my camp still like to party, no judging and I still hang around and have fun!), how great I feel and what a distant memory a hangover is."

Before Nicholas Galitzine opened up about his decision to stop drinking, he started hinting that he wasn't big on alcohol. While discussing dating do's and don'ts with Elle in July 2024, "The Idea of You" star encouraged readers to be mindful of their dates' boundaries before stating that he didn't like to go out drinking on dates because he didn't drink much. However, he stressed that he was more than happy accompanying his friends on nights outs at bars and clubs. Meanwhile, in his April 2025 GQ Germany interview, Galitzine opened up about living an unglamorous life, saying, "My life is the exact opposite of excess. I don't drink alcohol, I eat very little, and I lift weights every day." 

It wasn't until Galitzine's June 2026 appearance on Jake Shane's "Therapuss" podcast that he revealed he decided to stop drinking during the pandemic. "Yeah, I was drinking a lot in COVID," the "Red, White & Royal Blue" star said of his reasons for the decision, before adding, "I'm kind of better for it." However, it's worth noting that when Shane congratulated him on his sobriety, Galitzine clarified, "It's not like that." Galitzine then agreed with Shane's suggestion that he simply had no desire to drink anymore.

In a February 2026 interview with The Face (via X), the British actor was asked about his ultimate hangover cure, to which he replied, "Well, I don't drink anymore, so joke's on everyone else who does drink." Generally speaking, though, one of the first things you should do when you wake up with a hangover is to drink loads of water to counteract dehydration.