Nineties pop star Kavana said he was given a lifetime ban from ITV's Loose Women after turning up drunk for a 2007 appearance, disappearing to a nearby pub shortly before going on air and making an X-rated remark to presenter Carol McGiffin, according to excerpts published from his autobiography.
In Pop Scars, released earlier this year, the singer—born Anthony Kavanagh—described drinking in his dressing room then slipping across the road to a pub, leaving production staff frantically searching for him minutes before his scheduled segment. When he returned, he said producers found him disruptive both backstage and on set.
Kavana wrote that his agent later informed him that ITV bosses had lost patience and told him, "you can never go on again." He recalled his agent relaying further details of the on-air appearance: "You asked Carol McGiffin live on air when was the last time she had sex, and you were described as being loud and unhinged backstage, asking for wine and demanding everyone join you in the pub after the show." He said he was escorted off the premises and helped into a car, and that he insisted the driver reroute to Soho.
The singer, who had a Top Ten hit in 1997 with I Can Make You Feel Good, wrote that he had little memory of the appearance and that flashbacks to the episode prompted him to drink to cope. "I can't remember much of my 'performance' on Loose Women apart from the odd flashback, which every time one comes I slug a mouthful of beer at the harrowing thought," he wrote.
Pop Scars chronicles Kavana's struggles with alcohol and documents episodes from the period of his addiction. He has been publicly open about seeking help; in February 2023 he marked one year of sobriety on social media, posting a before-and-after photo from when he arrived at rehab and writing, "Today I am 1 year sober. On the left, me arriving at rehab in a blackout. On the right, me today. Thanks to those that have helped me get here a day at a time." He also wrote during Addiction Awareness Week that, "20 months ago I was lost, broken and hopeless. Ask for help, I’m so glad I did. #Wedorecover #Noshame #addiction #youcandoit."
After his pop career slowed, Kavana remained active on television, appearing in the soap spin-off Hollyoaks: In The City in 2006 and reaching the final of the reality show Greece Is the Word in 2007. He also competed on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing seventh. The memoir ties those professional moments to the personal toll of substance misuse and his path to recovery.
The Daily Mail first published the book extracts and reported that it had contacted ITV for comment. Kavana has written candidly about his addiction and recovery elsewhere, and his memoir draws a direct line between high-profile public appearances and private struggles that preceded his decision to seek treatment.
Kavana's account joins other recent celebrity memoirs that chronicle addiction and rehabilitation, offering a personal perspective on the pressures of public life and the challenges of recovery. He told readers in Pop Scars and on social media that recovery is possible and that he has been sober for nearly three years, crediting family, friends and professional help for his progress.