28 episodes

KTLA News anchor and reporter Courtney Friel hosts a weekly podcast where she has candid conversations with celebrities and media personalities about their recovery from addiction. With over a decade of sobriety, Courtney hopes to inspire others struggling with addictions and show that recovery is possible, and that life can still be fun and rewarding without drugs or alcohol. Welcome to "Keepin' It Friel: Conversations on Recovery!"

Keepin' It Friel: Conversations on Recovery KTLA Audio Network

    • Health & Fitness
    • 5.0 • 41 Ratings

KTLA News anchor and reporter Courtney Friel hosts a weekly podcast where she has candid conversations with celebrities and media personalities about their recovery from addiction. With over a decade of sobriety, Courtney hopes to inspire others struggling with addictions and show that recovery is possible, and that life can still be fun and rewarding without drugs or alcohol. Welcome to "Keepin' It Friel: Conversations on Recovery!"

    Advocating for the Voiceless with Kiana Dean

    Advocating for the Voiceless with Kiana Dean

    Keepin’ it Friel this week is Kiana Dean, a 22 year old foster care advocate, who was born addicted to drugs due to her mom’s meth addiction during pregnancy. As a result of the drugs, the right side of Kiana’s face is paralyzed, she has a heart defect, and has had many surgeries. She bounced around foster homes until a woman she calls her “angel” adopted her. Amazingly, Kiana doesn’t have the victim mentality, and instead got the urge to fight for babies who can’t speak for themselves.   

    • 22 min
    Hitting Bottom at the Top with Sports & Celebrity Agent Darren Prince

    Hitting Bottom at the Top with Sports & Celebrity Agent Darren Prince

    Darren Prince is a prominent sports & celebrity agent whose clients have included Magic Johnson, Hulk Hogan, Carmen Electra and more. He is also the other of the book Aiming High: How a Prominent Sports and Celebrity Agent Hit Bottom at the Top. Darren opens up about his 24-year addiction to opioids. Darren's recovery journey is now going 11 years strong, and he is now helping others break free from addiction.

    • 18 min
    Detailing Sobriety with Former “Details Magazine” Editor in Chief Dan Peres

    Detailing Sobriety with Former “Details Magazine” Editor in Chief Dan Peres

    Keepin’ it Friel this week is Dan Peres, the former editor in chief of Details Magazine and author of the book “As Needed for Pain”.  During Dan’s 15 years in charge at the magazine, he was secretly popping 60 opioids a day, and overdosed several times. He’d doctor shop, call in prescriptions for himself, and drive to Mexico for pills. Dan now has 12 years sober, loves being a dad to his three sons, and is trying to help de-stigmatize addiction.  

    • 21 min
    Spreading Sober News with Laurie Dhue

    Spreading Sober News with Laurie Dhue

    Laurie Dhue was the first news anchor to work at all three cable news networks.   While at Fox News Channel, Laurie’s drinking and cocaine use escalated.  She ended up hiring an addiction specialist to help her get clean.   Laurie now has 13 years sober, but at the 5 year mark, she attended an off the record dinner and a gossip magazine reporter outed her sobriety in an article the next day.   While she wasn’t planning on going public, Laurie became a recovery advocate that day, and continues to help others and speak on the topic around the country.  

    • 21 min
    Inside the opioid addiction crisis with ‘American Fix’ author Ryan Hampton

    Inside the opioid addiction crisis with ‘American Fix’ author Ryan Hampton

    Ryan Hampton is an author and activist. He is the author of the book American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis-and How to End It. Ryan opens up about his addiction to heroin, and the challenges he encountered with the nation's treatment system. Ryan's experiences have led him to be at the forefront of advocating for addiction recovery reform.

    • 20 min
    Fashionably Sober with Lawrence Zarian

    Fashionably Sober with Lawrence Zarian

    Keepin’ it Friel this week is Lawrence Zarian, a fashion expert who has covered hundreds of awards shows, and contributed to multiple TV networks, including here at KTLA.  Lawrence now has 14 years sober, but before that, he thought his alcohol and cocaine addiction would ultimately kill him. 

    • 22 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
41 Ratings

41 Ratings

Munchlove826 ,

Great Stories

Love this and so glad I found it. Can’t wait to read your book, love hearing others stories and dialogues. We all have different stories and reasons but it’s great to find similarities in others. Thanks for sharing such important information with the world.

dblueyez ,

Sobriety Rocks

Courtney thank you so much for bringing these stories of addiction and recovery out to the universe. You are letting all of us know there is hope. I’ve been sober for 8 years and life is good ❤️💕🙏 Your podcast is an inspiration Thank you Darelyne

Doghair ,

Thanks

Thank you for talking about and bringing out how addiction of all kinds effects all walks of life. But there is away to stop and heal and get better. For many, dreams come true they never thought would happen. But it does take work.

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