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Pat O'Brien gets real on drinking, drugs and 'dumb' co-workers

From CBS Sports to Inside Edition to his recently released memoir, Pat O'brien comes to KGW to talk about an entertaining and harrowing life.
Pat O'Brien

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Pat O'Brien does not hold back. After more than three decades in the broadcast industry, he's seen it all, met them all and nearly didn't survive at all.

From the early days of covering Michael Jordan to the more recent days of red carpets and tabloid entertainment shows, his recently released memoir "I'll Be Back Right After This" names names.

He has kind words for stars like Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie, and not-so-kind words for some of his co-hosts. O'Brien revealed an interesting nugget about current Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell.

"She actually said to me that she had 'never read a book cover to cover," he said.

O'Brien didn't hold back on Keith Olbermann.

"No bigger jerk ever," he said.

And on long-time Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart.

"The Velvet Claw. You're going to get scratched, but you won't notice till you bleed," O'Brien said.

At 67, he looks back at all of this in a relatively new way: Sober.

He stopped drinking seven years ago after nearly dying from a terrible binge, where he drank 12 bottles of wine. Following several stints in rehab, he now hosts a national program called KLEAN radio, which is dedicated to addicts' recovery.

He was in Portland this week to host the show from KXL when he stopped by KGW to talk to Live at 7. Watch our full interview, including why he says he's not being mean to his former co-hosts, above.

Watch video of the Portland edition of his radio show:

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