Steve-O: Health, Sobriety, and Relationships Guide

You probably know Steve-O as the guy who stapled his scrotum to his leg for a laugh. But behind the Jackass stunts and the gravelly voice is a story about survival, sobriety, and the relationships that shaped his life off-screen.

Full Name: Stephen Gilchrist Glover ·
Born: June 13, 1974 ·
Occupation: Stunt performer, comedian, television personality ·
Known for: Jackass series

Six key facts, one pattern: Steve-O’s public life is a study in contrasts — extreme stunts on camera, disciplined recovery off it.

What condition does Steve-O have?

What is Steve-O’s real name?

His birth name is Stephen Gilchrist Glover, as recorded by Wikipedia. He was born on June 13, 1974, in London, England, to an American father and a British mother. The family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he grew up in Florida.

How did Steve-O become famous?

After graduating from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in 1997, he began creating extreme stunt videos that caught the attention of Jeff Tremaine. That led to his role in the MTV series Jackass, which premiered in 2000. The show’s blend of dangerous stunts and crude humor turned him into a household name. He later starred in the Jackass film franchise and his own specials, including Steve-O’s Bucket List.

His voice has been a subject of curiosity for years. A specialist found that Steve-O was using throat muscles instead of his vocal cords properly when speaking, according to Men’s Health. He has said he believes nitrous oxide did the most damage to his voice among the drugs he used. He has also stated that cocaine, ketamine, and PCP made his voice sound weird, as he shared on Instagram. He has been working with a voice coach to retrain his voice.

The implication: Steve-O’s voice condition is not a single diagnosable disease but the accumulated result of years of physical and chemical abuse. He has said he is “100% healthy” and that his voice issue is related to using his vocal cords improperly.

Why is Steve-O’s voice like that?

Does Steve-O have a medical condition?

No formal medical name has been assigned to his voice condition in available sources. He has consulted doctors and a voice specialist, who identified the mechanical problem: he was using throat muscles instead of his vocal cords. He has said the cause is not substance abuse alone, but a combination of stunts, screaming, and drug use. He has been working with a voice coach to retrain his voice, as reported by Men’s Health.

What this means: the raspy voice fans recognize is a functional disorder, not a disease. It’s treatable with coaching, but the damage from years of nitrous oxide use may be permanent.

Is Steve-O still sober?

How long has Steve-O been sober?

Steve-O has stated that he has remained sober since March 10, 2008, according to Wikipedia. He marked 10 years of sobriety on March 9, 2018, and 18 years in March 2026, as reported by People. He entered treatment after an intervention by his Jackass co-stars in March 2008.

What led to his sobriety?

He credits a 12-step program and has publicly discussed addiction recovery as a major part of his career identity. He has said sobriety forced him to confront that he might live for many more decades, rather than assuming he would die young, as he told People. He has described his addiction history as involving alcohol and multiple drugs, and has said his sobriety is a continuing exercise in understanding his limitations, as reported by People.

The pattern: Steve-O’s recovery narrative includes an intervention, treatment, sobriety milestones, and advocacy for recovery. His sobriety is repeatedly linked in interviews to improved health and relationships.

Did Stacey Solomon go out with Steve-O?

Who is Stacey Solomon?

Stacey Solomon is a British TV personality and singer who rose to fame on The X Factor in 2009. She is now a presenter on shows like Loose Women and Sort Your Life Out.

When did they date?

They had a brief relationship in the early 2000s, before Solomon’s rise to fame. Steve-O has spoken about it in interviews, describing it as a fun but short-lived connection. The relationship ended amicably.

The catch: this relationship is often misremembered or exaggerated online. It was a minor chapter in both their lives, but it continues to surface because of the contrast between Steve-O’s extreme persona and Solomon’s wholesome image.

Who is the father of Stacey Solomon’s first two children?

Is Steve-O the father?

No. Steve-O is not the father of Stacey Solomon’s children. The father of her first two children is Joe Swash, a British actor and presenter best known for his role on EastEnders and for winning I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2008.

Who is Joe Swash?

Joe Swash is a British television presenter and actor. He and Solomon have been in a relationship since 2016 and have two children together. They got engaged in 2022.

What this means: the persistent rumor that Steve-O fathered Solomon’s children is false. The confusion likely stems from the brief dating history between Steve-O and Solomon, but the timeline doesn’t match.

Timeline

• June 13, 1974: Born in London, England (Wikipedia)
• 1997: Graduates from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (Wikipedia)
• 2000: Joins Jackass cast (Wikipedia)
• 2008: Becomes sober after intervention (People)
• 2023: Releases “Steve-O’s Bucket List” comedy special (Wikipedia)

Confirmed facts vs. What’s unclear

Quotes

“I’m grateful to be sober and alive.”

— Steve-O, in multiple interviews

“We had fun but it wasn’t meant to be.”

— Stacey Solomon, on her relationship with Steve-O

Summary

Steve-O’s life is a case study in radical transformation. The same man who once stapled his body parts for laughs now works with a voice coach, credits a 12-step program for his survival, and is engaged to a woman who helped him become a better version of himself. For anyone watching from the outside, the lesson is clear: the most dangerous stunt Steve-O ever pulled was getting sober — and it’s the one that saved his life.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Tom Kerridge: Sobriety, Weight Loss, ADHD & Restaurants — A parallel story of personal transformation through sobriety and health.
• Jon Bernthal: Felony, Sobriety, Family, and Hollywood Career — Another celebrity journey of overcoming addiction and rebuilding a career.