Janet Devlin: Young, Female and Addicted

1 x 60' - BBC ONE NI (2022) 

Janet Devlin: Young, Female and Addicted is a deeply personal film following the former X-Factor star as she embarks on a journey to understand the impact her alcohol addiction had on those closest to her and how problematic drinking is affecting other young women in Northern Ireland.

After shooting to fame at the age of 16, Janet became drawn into a strange world where loneliness and social anxiety led to a downward spiral that was fuelled by alcohol and resulted in suicide attempts.  It was only when she was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous – completing its 90 meetings in 90 days – that Janet was able to turn her life around.

In Northern Ireland the number of alcohol-related deaths among women is at an all-time high, and increasing here faster than anywhere else in the UK.  Women – and particularly young women - are succumbing to alcohol abuse and addiction at an unprecedented rate.

In this hard-hitting documentary Janet speaks to medical experts about why young women in Northern Ireland are drinking more than ever and what support is available to those who are struggling.  As part of her active recovery, Janet confronts those in her life impacted by her drinking and meets other young women whose lives have been devastated by alcohol abuse.