Actor Edwin Goh has cleaned up his act

After moving to Sydney in 2023, the home-grown celeb quit smoking and drinking and worked in retail, and is now back in Singapore with his wife-to-be

- Joanne Soh

Spending two years away from Singapore did wonders for Edwin Goh.

The local actor — who relocated to Sydney, Australia, in 2023 but moved back home on April 9 — stopped binge-drinking and quit smoking.

"Before I left Singapore, I was not in a good relationship with myself, and alcohol was my coping mechanism," the 30-year-old tells The Straits Times.

Despite having attained recognition for his acting work, the former child star and Mediacorp artiste was struggling inside.

"I should have been happy because I was doing well, but I wasn't," says Goh, who is now a Fly Entertainment artiste.

Turning to the bottle became easy and normal.

"My inner conflicts led to some self-sabotaging behaviours. The amount I drank increased as my alcohol tolerance went up, and before I knew it, it was out of control," adds Goh, who was convicted of drink driving in 2022. He was fined $6,500 and disqualified from driving for three years.

He eventually cut down on the boozing due to the comparatively stress-free lifestyle Down Under.

Goh broke out at the age of 15 in Channel 5 drama Fighting Spiders in 2009. He subsequently found fame playing Li Nanxing's rebellious teenage son in Channel 8 crime drama On The Fringe (2011).

Goh continued to be a regular face in local shows, growing up in the public eye. His last on-screen show was 2023's blockbuster series All That Glitters.