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Shaun Ryder Revisits Crack Binge, Hostage Ordeal and Orangutan Claim in New Interviews

The Happy Mondays singer is retelling the stories in interviews tied to his book, crediting his wife for decades of sobriety.

Overview

  • Ryder says he smoked up to 50 rocks of crack a day while in Barbados during sessions for the Happy Mondays’ 1992 album.
  • He recounts facing a large orangutan on the island and insists the encounter was real despite orangutans not being native there.
  • He recalls being held hostage in Amsterdam by an armed robber for “a day or two,” saying he talked his way free.
  • He has retold a near-arrest during a 1996 drugs raid, a Brit Awards anecdote that was edited from last month’s broadcast.
  • He reports long-term sobriety after quitting around age 40, crediting his wife Joanne and long daily cycling during recovery.