AJ McLean Says He's a 'Chronic Relapser' as He Celebrates a Year of Sobriety: 'You Gotta Keep Going'

AJ McLean.Photo: Kelsey McNeal via Getty AJ McLeanis continuing to open up about his sobriety journey. On Monday’s episode of theRecovering from Realitypodcast, theBackstreet Boy, 43, opened up about his years-long fight to stay sober and the steps he takes to make sure he doesn’t fall back. After describing an instance in the early 2000s when he grabbed a drink following rehab and drank half a bottle of beer, the singer called himself a “chronic relapser.

AJ McLean Says Nick Carter Could've Been in *NSYNC If He Chose 'Mickey Mouse Club' Over Backstreet Boys

Photo: Ethan Miller/FilmMagic; Eric McCandless/Getty Nick Carterwas faced with some serious decisions when he was just a preteen. TheBackstreet Boyssinger, now 42, reunited with boyband memberAJ McLeanat this weekend’s90s Conin Hartford, Connecticut, and shared how he got his start with the famous five 30 years ago. After McLean, 44, told fans that he met Carter at auditions for Disney and Nickelodeon in 1992 — when McLean, “the OG” Backstreet Boy, was helping build the band — Carter recalled the moment he was given the chance to join theMickey Mouse Club.

AJ McLean Shows Off His Fit Body amid Health and Sobriety Journey: 'No More Dad Bod'

Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty ImagesAJ McLeanis committed to being the best version of himself.The Backstreet Boys singer, 44, shared some shirtless pics of himself onInstagramThursday, in which he detailed in the caption of his post that he has been dedicated to a “#HealthyLifestyle.““Thought I’d do a little throwback Thursday vibes,” McLean began. “Found the pic on the left from a year ago on vacation and wow it’s amazing what a little dedication and setting goals can do for a person.

AJ McLean Talks 'Rebirth' of the Backstreet Boys and the Band Rocking Cancún in 2024 (Exclusive)

AJ McLean in Miami in July 2023.Photo:Kevin Mazur/Getty Kevin Mazur/Getty “Got to get a little Jimi Hendrix in the shot,” he says with a laugh, holding a Hendrix doll up to the camera. “There we go. What’s up, Jimi?” He tosses the doll aside and smiles before diving intoBackstreet’s Back at the Beach. AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys at Madison Square Garden in December 2022.

AJ McLean Talks Sobriety Journey Ahead of 2-Year Sober Anniversary: 'It Never Gets Easier' (Exclusive)

AJ McLean attends the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 23, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Photo:David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartRadio David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartRadio AJ McLeanwill soon celebrate a noteworthy anniversary: two years of sobriety. On Saturday, theBackstreet Boyssinger, 45, talked exclusively to PEOPLE at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas, sharing that while life is “grand,” his sober journey is an ongoing process. “This coming Tuesday, I will be two years sober, so life is grand right now,” he tells PEOPLE.