It was part of my outfit to be hungover, says John Vlismas

John Vlismas is no stranger to the comedy scene. His stand-up shows attract big audience numbers and in the industry, he's probably one of the most respected acts out there.

John, who is now often behind the scenes, grafting hard to produce shows that draw a solid crowd, sat down with Anele Mdoda on her show, Real Talk, to talk about, well, everything.

It's no secret that John spent time in rehab, admitting that he had a problem with substance abuse and often pokes fun at it during his shows.

Speaking to Anele, John said that being drunk stopped being fun when he realised that his habit was getting in the way of doing what he loved.

"I was always a binge drinker. I drank heavily for periods and didn't drink. Then the binges got closer together. Of course, once you introduce something like cocaine into the mix you can drink much more."

He said that it wasn't becoming a dad that gave him a reality check, but rather realising that his habit was getting in the way.

"It's a real privilege to earn your money from what you love. Then to not start liking what you love because it gets in the way of your habit... that's when it changed. I always felt like I was managing the role (of being a dad.) But if you think about drinking at breakfast, then how are you possibly managing the role?"

It was then that he made contact with his parents in Durban, checked into a rehab facility and made big changes to his lifestyle.

Does he miss it?

"I do occasionally. It's like missing a dead friend. I grieve for not drinking."

But he was able to jump back into work soon after getting out of rehab and has cemented his name as not only a thought-provoking comedian, but also as the man behind big name successes and shows.

Bravo!

You can watch the show here: