Albert Harris, the brother of EastEnders star Patsy Palmer, is about to undergo a journey that’ll see him check into a rehabilitation centre.
Albert, who is 56, has battled with a heroin addiction since he was 15 years old. He has been off the drugs for over a year, but wants to do something about his need for methadone medicine.
He has said that once his reliance on methadone stops, he wants to spend his life helping others struggling with addiction problems.
Following his release from prison in 2022, which saw him spend 5 years behind bars for armed robbery, Albert has now opened up about his life and relationship with sister Patsy, who plays Bianca Jackson in EastEnders.
‘I know I can have an alternative life. I have problems with addiction and I want my little sister to see that I can get better and stay better. I want to make our mum proud and I want to make Patsy proud. Me and Patsy were always close but it’s been a bit difficult since she’s lived in America and with my convictions’, he told the Mirror.
‘I’m stuck on this medication but soon I will be going in somewhere and I’ll have that freedom back and can start a new life. If I had another 10 years, I’d spend it helping others. I’d like to be a counsellor or volunteer to help people with addiction.
‘I’ve spent most of my life dealing with this and I know I can put my experiences to use, better myself and help others. I believe it’s never too late to change.’
Patsy recently made a return to EastEnders as Bianca, in a special week of episodes that saw Whitney (Shona McGarty) and Zack (James Farrar) visit the character in Milton Keynes.
‘I saw her on telly and thought she was great. She looked great, too’, Albert said.
Patsy’s sibling was giving methadone to help him after surgery to remove a tumour from his lower spine.
‘It makes me feel so tired. I’m a slave to the chemist and I can’t get a job while I’m on it. I can sit and watch TV and do nothing else for days’, he explained.
‘As soon as people know I’m on methadone and know about my past, it’s very difficult. But it stops my cravings and prevents me from going into that dark world, being around those people and committing crimes.’
As well as attending NA meetings, Albert says he has taken heroin on two occasions since his release from prison, but not within the last year.
‘I just don’t want to be that person any more. I know I’m ill and I know if I think I’m better and stop going to meetings, I’ll become addicted again’, he revealed.
‘I’m doing a lot of work with myself – the meetings help with your mental state and your emotions, and I get support from my key workers. But ultimately, I just long to be free and live a normal life.’
‘I am so proud of her, and I want her to be proud of me’, he added, discussing the relationship with Patsy.
‘I want to get clean and then see her again. We’ll go for a coffee and a chat. The last time we spoke was on FaceTime a year ago.
'It's hard because she's in America. But she's my sister. We'll always be close.'
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Patsy’s representative for a comment.
