From entertainer to politician and author, Alistair Izobell is now taking on a new role of men’s mental health champion with his latest project called “Healing Broken Brothers”.
With a show-business career spanning several decades, the singer’s name is synonymous with David Kramer/Taliep Petersen musicals like Kat and the Kings and District Six.
In November 2023, the dad of two opened up about his mental health struggles, divorce, affair, and three failed suicide attempts, the latest being when he downed over 100 tablets and 18 beers in a bid to end his life.
But the 48-year-old lived to tell the tale in a soon-to-be published book titled Broken, and has now decided to “help other broken men” heal from their trauma by speaking out.
Alistair says his latest initiative is a programme designed for men to accept the “patriarchal weight” they are faced with.
The three-day programme is set to take place in May.
His decision to break his silence in a Live Facebook video, that ran for 42 minutes, sparked mixed emotions from followers, with some calling him out on his jolling.
“My challenges were beyond my divorce etc. It was me confronting understanding, accepting and dealing with the fact that I've been a depressive for many years,” he says.
“All the things that happened from betrayal to divorce to everything else that I was very public about, was me standing up taking off the smoke and mirrors and saying, ‘I have been dealing with this disease for a long time’ and all the things that happened to me, were just catalysts to get me to the point of the dark night of my soul.”
He also announced the launch of his book called Broken, which was set to come out n December 2023.
Alistair says: “I’m still in the final stages of editing and that book will come out in the next few weeks.”
According to the star, he hasn’t “overcome anything” but is still learning how to manage his problems.
While his men’s retreat will offer workshops, coping mechanisms, and sessions with mental health practitioners, Alistair says the first step to healing is accepting you are broken and seeking help
“I've done this, but we have created this society where men are too afraid to say that things are going wrong. They'll rather perpetuate the lie until it completely relaxes, and then you're sitting with a big problem.”
For more information, email healingbrokenbrothers@gmail.com.