A former homeless addict has turned his life around and is now a fitness trainer to the stars - making £15,000-a-month.
Barry O'Shea, 37, began drinking at the age 14 and started taking cocaine at 17.
By 21, Barry was addicted to drugs and his life spiralled out of control.
He spent his 20s in and out of jail before he became homeless in his early thirties and had nowhere to go.
After one last stint in jail for shoplifting offences, Barry decided to get his life back on track and go to a rehab.
And, after 12 years of addiction, Barry turned his life around.
In May 2021, he founded Bossfix Academy, an online coaching and weight loss business.
In just over two years, Barry's business has flourished.
Barry now employs nine people on a contract basis and also trains TV personalities, reality stars and models, like Brooke Wright.
He hit rock bottom at the age of 33 when he found himself sitting by the edge of a canal in London - homeless with nowhere to go.
Barry, who is from West London, but now lives in Hull, said: "I lost everything. My mum wouldn't answer the phone. I had been couch-surfing for months.
"I was sitting up on the canal at six in the morning. I had too much pride to sleep on the street."
Barry, who was out on bail, decided to hand himself in to the police after missing his court date for shoplifting charges and was sentenced to 18 months.
He said: "The judge admired my honesty and was lenient with me, but also left it up to me to go to rehab voluntarily at the end of my 18 month sentence, to which I was sincere and followed through with my actions. "
Barry left prison with £14 and clothes he had found in a bin and went straight to The Bridges Rehabilitation center in Hull.
He said: "I wanted to get drink or drugs but something pulled me to Hull. While I was in prison I had planned what to do.
"I thought I'm good at sales and I'm good at fitness. Sales will make me lots of money, but fitness will keep me clean."
Barry started his business as free fitness lessons in the park and now has upwards of 60 clients every month, who pay between £175 and £500 each.
Now established, his business provides personal training, nutrition plans and fitness classes.
Barry also coaches his students using techniques he learned in addiction recovery, believing that they should be applied by everyone.
He added: "We encourage people to maintain human connections when you hit your target, you should go back and help someone who just started.
"My clients have membership milestones that they hit, We hold community meetings, and encourage people to keep healthy habits outside fitness.
"I believe that some of the things you learn in recovery can be applied to everyone's life."
Barry O'Shea, 37, began drinking at the age 14 and started taking cocaine at 17.
By 21, Barry was addicted to drugs and his life spiralled out of control.
He spent his 20s in and out of jail before he became homeless in his early thirties and had nowhere to go.
After one last stint in jail for shoplifting offences, Barry decided to get his life back on track and go to a rehab.
And, after 12 years of addiction, Barry turned his life around.
In May 2021, he founded Bossfix Academy, an online coaching and weight loss business.
In just over two years, Barry's business has flourished.
Barry now employs nine people on a contract basis and also trains TV personalities, reality stars and models, like Brooke Wright.
He hit rock bottom at the age of 33 when he found himself sitting by the edge of a canal in London - homeless with nowhere to go.
Barry, who is from West London, but now lives in Hull, said: "I lost everything. My mum wouldn't answer the phone. I had been couch-surfing for months.
"I was sitting up on the canal at six in the morning. I had too much pride to sleep on the street."
Barry, who was out on bail, decided to hand himself in to the police after missing his court date for shoplifting charges and was sentenced to 18 months.
He said: "The judge admired my honesty and was lenient with me, but also left it up to me to go to rehab voluntarily at the end of my 18 month sentence, to which I was sincere and followed through with my actions. "
Barry left prison with £14 and clothes he had found in a bin and went straight to The Bridges Rehabilitation center in Hull.
He said: "I wanted to get drink or drugs but something pulled me to Hull. While I was in prison I had planned what to do.
"I thought I'm good at sales and I'm good at fitness. Sales will make me lots of money, but fitness will keep me clean."
Barry started his business as free fitness lessons in the park and now has upwards of 60 clients every month, who pay between £175 and £500 each.
Now established, his business provides personal training, nutrition plans and fitness classes.
Barry also coaches his students using techniques he learned in addiction recovery, believing that they should be applied by everyone.
He added: "We encourage people to maintain human connections when you hit your target, you should go back and help someone who just started.
"My clients have membership milestones that they hit, We hold community meetings, and encourage people to keep healthy habits outside fitness.
"I believe that some of the things you learn in recovery can be applied to everyone's life."
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FunTranscript
00:00 This is Bridges Riyadh Meditation Centre in Hull, where I came to after serving 9 months in prison for shoplifting.
00:05 I was homeless before that, I was a drug addict, and I actually arrived here late, I remember, because the train was delayed.
00:11 And when I got here, they couldn't believe that someone had come from prison to Riyadh without picking up a drink or drug.
00:16 They tested me and I was clean. I went inside and I asked, "Can I order a takeaway?"
00:20 I hadn't had takeaway food in years, and I ordered a kebab, and I remember sitting there wearing my prison t-shirt, eating it, thinking I can't believe it.
00:26 They allowed me to go upstairs and have a wash, and there was a bath. I hadn't had a bath in years either.
00:30 I put some bubble bath in the bath, and I slid into it. I looked up and I couldn't believe I actually made it.
00:34 I got up and I got dressed back into my clothes that were from Bint, which I got from the laundry in jail.
00:40 And that was over 4 years ago, and I can't believe I actually made it, because now I'm over 4 years clean.
00:45 I've got a beautiful girlfriend, a wonderful business, I help people for a living, all because I worked for myself.
00:50 And I took that choice to come to Riyadh and actually put it to work here.
00:54 This is where I was today, 6 o'clock in the morning, 4 years ago.
00:58 This is where I had my last drink. I sat here at 6 o'clock in the morning, I had nowhere else to go.
01:02 Just come back from my mum's house. Before that I was at a couple of house parties. I'd been awake for about 4 days.
01:07 I had nowhere else to go. I even attacked my own mum. She kicked me out. I wasn't staying there anyway.
01:11 I had nowhere to sleep. I was going to go up to Toxie Street and do some shoplifting to make some money, to carry on taking drugs.
01:18 But it was 6 o'clock in the morning, and I looked in absolute state. I looked like a drug addict.
01:22 And I thought maybe I'd go to the local shop, which is the petrol station around there in Kensington Rise.
01:26 Which didn't open until 9 o'clock, so I had 3 hours to wait.
01:28 Because I had too much pride to go sleep on the street, don't let anyone see me.
01:31 It's why I was hiding here on the canal, because no one could really see you.
01:34 And I was just sat there thinking, you know what, how's my life got here?
01:37 How about unless I'm fully accepted? You know what, I'm a full-blown drug addict.
01:40 It's time to change and I want it by the police.
01:42 So I walked back round to my mum's house where I knew the police were there waiting for me.
01:46 I surrendered, handed myself in.
01:48 And it was at that precise moment when I decided, you know what, to take some control and fight back for my life.
01:53 I ended up in rehab, after going to prison for 9 months.
01:57 I started the Toss It programme, and my life has just gone up and up and up and up and up.
02:01 I'm happy to say I'm out of the city today, 4 years clean.
02:03 I own business, help loads of people.
02:06 I'm just happy, finally happy again.
02:10 Westminster Magistrates Court, where they bring most criminals before they go into court.
02:15 Last time I was here, I went up in front of the judge and before the case proceeded, I asked my barrister,
02:21 could I talk openly to the court?
02:23 And I said to the judge, after he agreed, I'm standing there and my clothes are piss all over them, dirt, excreted all over them.
02:33 And I said, look, I've had enough.
02:35 Every crime I'm up against that I've been on the run for, I'm guilty of.
02:39 I was sick of running.
02:41 And if you give me bail today, which I usually try to do, I'll carry on taking drink, and I'll carry on taking drugs,
02:46 and I'll carry on committing crime, feed my habit.
02:48 I literally had enough.
02:50 I said, all the crime I'm up against, I'm guilty.
02:52 I said, rather than me going to jail and then looking for reports, and the usual random things,
02:56 I said, can you just send me today?
02:58 I'm desperate, desperate to go to rehab, please send me to rehab.
03:01 And the judge admired my honesty and he said, you've been in the system long enough to know that you have to be punished.
03:07 And if you're so adamant you're going to go to rehab, you can go to the end of your sentence.
03:11 And he gave me 18 months, I served 9 months, then I went to rehab.
03:16 I actually followed through with what I said, and it's been 4 years now and 1 month, and I'm still clean.
03:21 After that day that I gave up, I built my own business, got a whole new life, I helped people for a living,
03:26 and that was the last time I ever set foot in that courtroom, and I'll never be back there again.