The actress has entered a private Sydney treatment facility to receive assistance for her “alcohol habit.”
She claimed that the previous year had been difficult and stressful, which resulted in a “unhealthy reliance on drink.”
Ritchie was observed on Sunday entering a building in Sydney.
On Sunday, her mother dropped her off, and the following day, she was picked up.
In October, the 44-year-old made her departure from Nova official.
Just a few weeks before, Ritchie was charged with drunk driving.
Kate Ritchie, a star of Home and Away, has acknowledged that she has entered a private Sydney rehab facility to receive treatment for “alcohol dependency.”
The 44-year-old actress said in a message posted on her Instagram page on Thursday that the previous year had been difficult and stressful, which had resulted in a “unhealthy reliance on alcohol.”
It happens after she was observed leaving a posh rehab facility in Sydney on Sunday.
Ritchie declared that she would suspend her Nova radio programme until 2023.
After being charged with drunk driving only a few weeks earlier, she abruptly left her popular show in October.
“As previously said, I will be taking a hiatus till the following year. The past year has been tremendously emotionally taxing, in addition to being stressful, exhausting, and sleep-deprived. In her statement, she stated, “I realised that this had resulted in an unhealthy addiction on alcohol.”
I made the decision to make the most of this opportunity by seeking the assistance I require from experts in this field. This is a really major step for me, as everyone would agree. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who is helping me.
For those who “have issues with alcohol and other drugs” and for the “evaluation and treatment of mental health conditions,” the facility offers day and inpatient programmes.
A “multidisciplinary team” that includes consultants in psychiatry and addictions, nurses, exercise physiologists, social workers, psychologists, and psychotherapists makes up the clinic.
Ritchie was observed on Sunday carrying bags as she entered the building.
Ritchie chose Everyday Play, one of her books for families that features recipes and activities for adults and kids alike.
Her mother, Heather, dropped her off at the clinic.
Ritchie was picked up from the clinic by her mother the next Monday afternoon while sporting a casual outfit of blue jeans, a matching denim blouse, and a handbag slung over her shoulder.
Daily Mail Australia made numerous attempts to contact Ritchie’s management for comment.
An source in the business claimed that the clinic was well-liked by on-air talent since it was relatively covert.
They have a high success rate, and day programmes let patients continue to see their loved ones and work while receiving care, according to the insider.
It’s also non-ratings season, most people are on holiday outside of the city, and networks are winding down, so this time of year is ideal.
When Ritchie unexpectedly announced in October that she was quitting her popular Nova drive show for the remainder of the year due to stress, listeners were taken aback.
Nova’s exit was announced in a pre-recorded clip rather than a live broadcast, which may have been done at the request of management who may have wanted Ritchie to strictly adhere to a prepared script.
According to a radio insider at the time, “everyone on radio was going: “Wow, that was weird, she ain’t coming back,” with rumours growing that she won’t ever return to the show.
A radio insider reported shortly after the announcement that she might not host the Nova drive programme again and might be replaced by guest co-host Ricki-Lee Coulter.
Tim Blackwell, a fellow presenter who wants to bring popular vocalist Coulter on board the national Kate, Tim & Joel show permanently, is rumoured to have lost faith in Ritchie.
The third team member, comedian Joel Creasey, continues to support Ritchie, but Blackwell, the 20-year broadcasting veteran who oversees the show, will get what he wants, according to a source in the business.
Ritchie was a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, which Coulter was hosting on Network Seven. Coulter gained popularity in 2010 as a member of Nova’s Sydney breakfast crew.
Regarding Ritchie’s future at Nova, the insider informed Daily Mail Australia that “Kate returning next year is not a given.”
Although the management adores Kate, she has been absent rather frequently this year, and Ricki-Lee has done a fantastic job filling in. That led to a problem. Tim is a huge Ricki-Lee fan, and Joel belongs to the Kate fan club.’ Rumors about Ritchie’s future at Nova started to circulate after it was revealed she tested positive for a breathalyser test at a random stop by police in her Subaru station waggon at Pagewood at 2.45 p.m. on August 22 with a reading of 0.06, just over the legal limit.
Ritchie was given a $600 fine, a three-month driving ban, and an Instagram apology.
She wrote, “Recently I participated in a random breath test.” Despite the low amount, the test result was positive.
“I made a bad choice, and I am aware of how severe my acts are,” the speaker said. I sincerely apologise.
Listeners at the time recognised Ritchie’s recent pattern of frequent absences from the programme.
She once took seven consecutive weeks off from the show in 2020, which a radio personality claimed was “unheard of” in the business.
Another reliable radio source, however, claimed that the management was keen to get her back in the chair and that her dismissal had nothing to do with the drink-driving controversy.
The insider emphasised that the real reason for her absence was not what she said on-air, which was that she was worried and weary from her schedule.
We love our audience, and they seem to put up with us, Ritchie had stated.
And as you might have imagined, I put a lot of emotional energy into everything I do, especially my work and my family. In the past few months, I have worked on radio, returned to TV, and in my free time, I even published a children’s book.
“So, it’s just that, like some of you, I think, I’m exhausted and I need a short break to give myself and my family more time to reenergize.
“I spoke with the Nova management team, and they gladly agreed that now is a good time to take the vacation as the year comes to a close.
“Nova has been fantastic and understanding, so thank you Nova, as well as Tim, Joel, and the team. But most of all, thank you to all of our wonderful listeners,” said the team. Yes, I do mean that.
“Recharge your batteries so you can start anew the next year,” And even if it’s only temporary, I’ll miss you all. In the New Year, I’ll see you.
Mae, a daughter of Ritchie and her ex-husband Stuart Webb, is eight years old.
2020 marked the end of the couple’s ten-year marriage.
After making her television debut as Sally Fletcher on Home and Away in 1988 when she was just nine years old, Ritchie grew up in front of Australian viewers.
She continued to perform on the show for the next 20 years, earning the Silver Logies for Most Popular Actress from 2006 to 2008 and the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality in 2007 and 2008.
