Sign Tom Holland noticed while doing Dry January that he actually had a problem with alcohol

Back in 2022, like millions of others, Tom Holland decided to gave Dry January a stab - but little did he know that three years later he'd still be sober after having a startling realisation during the annual challenge.

The Spider-Man star, 28, hasn't picked up a drink since taking part in the 31-day booze hiatus three years ago, opening up to the Rich Roll podcast in October last year about the moment he 'started to panic' as a huge realisation hit.

Holland wasn't expecting to stay off the booze after completing Dry Jan, and like many of us was looking forward to the first night out as February rolled out, especially since booze was a 'go to' for him for most occasions - whether that be celebration or commiseration.

Tom Holland has been sober since January 2022 (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)

'Damn. I have a bit of an alcohol thing'

But not long into the challenge, Holland began to seriously question his relationship with drink after noticing one main sign.

“I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how much I was struggling without booze in that first month — and it really scared me,” Holland admitted.

"I decided, as a sort of punishment to myself, that I would do February as well as January.”

But things didn't get any easier for the star.

"If anything, it got a little bit harder,” Holland confessed. “I was starting to kind of panic, thinking, ‘Damn. I have a bit of an alcohol thing.;'”

The actor admitted he'd had a difficult conversation with his doctor about his liver health, and the damage booze was doing to his body spurred him on to extend his sobriety through into March too.

As the third month came and went, the star finally 'started to feel a little bit better, but was still really struggling'.

Holland says his sleep and relationships are now better (Araya Doheny/Getty Images)

Eventually he promised himself he would stay off the drink until his birthday, and as the months racked up, he had done an entire year.

"I said to myself, ’If I can make it to June 1st, which is my birthday, and I can do six months without booze, I will have then proved to myself that I don’t have a problem. I’m just young and enjoying a drink," he said.

Benefits of sobriety, according to Holland

Holland was already noticing improvements in his mental and physical health, including sleep and the relationships in his life.

“I started sleeping better. I was handling stressful situations better. My relationship was better. My relationship with my family was better. My relationship with my work was better,” he revealed. "By the time I’d crossed that annual mark I was done. I was like, ‘I’m never gonna drink again because this is the best version of myself'."

Looking back, Holland admits that while he didn't see himself as a 'bad drunk', he 'felt like I always had a reason to be drinking'.

"I wasn’t the type of person that could nip to the pub for a pint. I wanted to lock the door behind me."

Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support.