SUMMER House fans praised star Carl Radke for his new appearance and “glow up” on Thursday’s Season 5 premiere episode.
The Bravo star, whose brother tragically died last year, explained that he became clean in March 2020.
During Thursday’s episode, Carl told his housemates that he knew something was wrong when he met friends for dinner and “showed up wasted and basically couldn’t make it through the dinner without falling asleep.”
He said: “That was the wake up call I needed to make a big change in my life.
“I drank to black out cause I couldn’t deal with the stress and the anger I had regarding my parents’ divorce, my relationships, my jobs.
“My therapist was alcohol.”
Summer House fans noticed a positive difference in Carl’s appearance and attitude, as many took to Twitter to praise the 35-year-old.
One viewer wrote: “I’m here for this Carl glow up.”
Another person added: “I’ve never really been a Carl fan, but I agree with Paige—he looks good. Not just physically with the beard, but holistically.”
A third shared: “Carl looks really good, AND healthy!”
Others said this was the best version of Carl yet, with one person writing: “whatever number Carl we are on, I think he’s the one.”
The praise for Carl continued as another fan noted: “I like this version of Carl that we’re seeing!”
Another person commented on the star’s physical appearance, noting: “Can we all agree that Carl looks so hot this season.”
Many viewers seemed to agree that Carl is best when sober, as another person said: “sober carl is my favorite kind.”
While Carl said that the dinner with friends inspired him to get sober, the reality star previously lost his brother Curtis after a “lifelong battle of mental illness and addiction.”
Back in September, Carl took to Instagram to talk about his older brother’s tragic passing.
Alongside a picture of him, the Bravo star shared: “A couple of weeks ago, my brother Curtis passed away after a life-long battle with mental illness and addiction.
“Losing my big brother is something I never could have imagined, and the sense of loss is even greater.
“My brother had an amazing sense of humor. The quotes and silly scenes in movies that we would share are still making me laugh. As children of the 90s, we both lived through the DARE campaign.”
He continued: “I’ve been wanting to share loving memories of my brother for a while and now seems like the perfect time. A lot of people are struggling; I’m even more compelled to break the stigma around mental illness & addiction.
“As I reflect on Curtis’ legacy, I think of his huge heart and passion for life. I know he would want to transform tragedy into something uplifting. I’m making it my mission to bring some light to one of the darkest experiences I’ve ever faced… and contributing something in my brother’s honor. [..]”
Carl concluded his post: “Weathering the storm is far easier when you’re surrounded by warm energy and good people. So let’s act like it, beach. Here’s to transforming a year with lots of loss into something meaningful. More Curtis, More Life.”
