Andrew Zimmern has not always been the successful restauranteur and TV celebrity he is today, in fact, the star has always been brutally open and honest about his dark history with alcohol addiction.

Now, in a video with The Vice Zimmern has discussed one of the lowest points of his career, a time when he was literarily ready to drink himself to death.

He talks about being hired by Thomas Keller at his now closed Rakel restaurant in New York and how he was subsequently fired by the chef after he was found drunk on the job.

Zimmern explained: “[Keller] and a couple of other guys found me in the liquor room, drunk from the night before, passed out on the floor. When he saw me for the first time [since then], I dunno, ten years ago, helping a friend, he literally walked across the room, gave me a hug, and whispered in my ear: ‘I thought you were dead.’”

It's a candid account from a man who has become popular largely due to his honest and open approach to life. During the rest of the video, seen below, Zimmern travels across New York meeting other people relating with some of his failures.