Brian Cox has revealed that he is on Ozempic and shared shocking details of his near-death experience.

The Succession actor, 78, gave a candid insight into his health while appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show in a pre-recorded episode set to air on Saturday night.

On the ITV chat show, Brian shared that he takes Ozempic for his type two diabetes as he hit back at claims that the drug is for ‘fat people’.

When Jonathan complimented his trim frame, Brian replied: ‘I know because… Ozempic. No, it’s true. I am a diabetic and Ozempic is for diabetics, it is not for fat people.’

Ozempic is a treatment for type two diabetes which can help to manage blood sugar levels, but has made headlines after many celebrities have used it for weight loss.

Celebrities including Sharon Osbourne, Rebel Wilson and Amy Schumer have admitted to using the controversial drug.

Brian Cox has revealed that he is on Ozempic and shared shocking details of his near-death experience during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, set to air on Saturday night 

On the ITV chat show, the Succession star shared that he takes Ozempic for his type two diabetes as he hit back at claims that the drug is for ‘fat people’

During the wide-ranging interview, Brian also shared a shock story about his near-death experience and told how he credits Laurence Olivier for saving his life.

Brian recalled how in October 1965, he was due to fly from Edinburgh – where he was working – to London for an interview with Laurence, before the famed actor had to cancel.

‘I was working at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. I had this appointment with him and I was supposed to fly down to London to see him,’ he explained.

‘I was packed ready to go and I had a note from Olivier’s people saying that he couldn’t see me because he had other things he had to do so he needed to cancel the interview.’

Brian said Laurence cancelling their meet-up saved his life as the plane he was due to catch then crashed while landing at London Heathrow Airport, causing the deaths of all 36 people on board.

‘I was sitting there and I thought I won’t go to London,’ he explained.

‘I went home and the following morning I got up and there was a Sunday Post and it said in the back that ”Edinburgh flight from Turnhouse crashes at Heathrow killing everyone on board” and that’s the flight I would have been on. 

‘In a way, he saved my life. I was bowled over by it.’

During the wide-ranging interview, Brian also shared a shock story about his near-death experience and told how he credits Laurence Olivier (pictured) for saving his life

Brian recalled how in October 1965, when he was due to fly from Edinburgh to London for an interview with Laurence, before the famed actor had to cancel. The plane he was due to fly on then crashed 

Appearing on the chat show alongside, Christina Hendricks, Oti Mabuse and Chris McCausland, Brian also spoke about another very notable moment in his life – proposing to his now-wife Nicole Ansari.

He revealed their proposal actually came about after they made the decision to split up, before instead deciding to get married.

‘We were at the point of splitting up which is a very good basis for a proposal. My wife had been to India and I hadn’t seen her for a while – I was doing a film in Austin, Texas,’ she shared.

‘We sat down and we were talking. She’s wonderful my wife, she’s a fantastic person. We made a decision to split and I thought the other alternative was to get married. She thought about it for about 25 seconds and she said ”I think that’s a good idea”.’

The couple went on to tie the knot in Las Vegas in 2002 and share two children – Orson and Torin. They are now starring alongside each other in a play about German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Brian has been married twice previously, first to Lilian Monroe-Carr and then to Caroline Burt, who he shares a daughter Margaret and a son Alan with.

Brian rose to global acclaim as Logan Roy in the smash hit drama series Succession, and said he has no plans to retire anytime soon, saying he ‘loves’ his work and doesn’t want to give it up.

He famously starred alongside Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin in Succession, and the pair are both up for an Oscar this year, competing against each other in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Brian also spoke about another very notable moment in his life – proposing to his now-wife Nicole Ansari, revealing he did so after they had agreed to break-up 

Brian also discussed his Succession co-stars and on-screen sons Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin upcoming Oscar race, as they are both up for Best Supporting Actor 

Brian said he wont be watching Jeremy portray Roy Cohn in The Apprentice because he won’t ᴀssociate with Donald Trump. Sebastian Stan stars as Trump in the movie 

When asked who he will be rooting for, Brian revealed that while he has watched Kieran’s release A Real Pain, he refuses to watch Jeremy’s movie The Apprentice because of its ᴀssociation with Donald Trump. 

‘The problem is I won’t watch anything that is to do with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is in The Apprentice, Jeremy is playing the lawyer,’ he shared.

‘I have seen Kieran’s film and he’s wonderful. And I’m sure Jeremy is wonderful so I can’t really judge because I will not watch anything to do with that man – I’m talking about Trump.’

Kieran and Jeremy will be battling it out at the Oscars alongside The Brutalist’s Guy Pearce, Anora’s Yuriy Borisov and Edward Norton for A Complete Unknown.

The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 9.35pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

Oscar nominations 2025 – see who received nods for this year’s Academy Awards

Best Picture 

Wicked

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Perez

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys 

The Substance 

Wicked has received multiple Oscar nods, including one for Best Picture

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascon – Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison – Anora

Demi Moore – The Substance

Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

The Substance has been nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Actress for Demi Moore 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov – Anora

Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Felicity Jones – The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

Directing

Sean Baker – Anora

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

James Mangold – A Complete Unknown

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Music (Original Song) 

El Mal – Emilia Pérez

The Journey – The Six Triple Eight

Like A Bird – Sing Sing

Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez

Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late

Emilia Pérez has also earned numerous nominations

Music (Original Score)

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Writing (Original Screenplay) 

Anora

The Brutalist

A Real Pain

September 5

The Substance

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

Animated Feature Film

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

International Feature Film 

I’m Still here

The Girl with the Needle

Emilia Pérez

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Flow

Cinematography

The Brutalist

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Maria

Nosferatu

Makeup and Hairstyling 

A Different Man

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

The Substance

Wicked

Dune: Part Two is competing for numerous Oscars

Costume Design

A Complete Unknown 

Conclave

Gladiator II

Nosferatu

Wicked

Production Design

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nosferatu

Wicked

Animated Short Film 

Beautiful Men

In The Shadow of The Cypress

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Live Action Short Film

A Lien

Anuja

I’m Not A Robot

The Last Ranger

The An Who Could Not Remain Silent

Sound

A Complete Unknown

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

A Complete Unknown received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, among others

Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus

Better Man

Dune: Part Two

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked

Film Editing

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land

Porcelain War

Soundtrack to Coup D’etat

Sugarcane

Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident

Instrumenting of a Beating Heart

The Only Girl in the Orchestra