As a late-night comic host, Craig Ferguson doesn’t really get a lot of attention. Personally, I don’t watch The Late Late Show because I have the sleep patterns of an old fart. But Craig is on my radar, and from everything I’ve heard about him or from him, he seems like a really funny, decent man. Apparently someone in the publishing world thought these qualities would make for an interesting book, and wouldn’t you know, in September, Craig is set to release his quasi-autobiography, American On Purpose. The National Enquirer got some early leaks from the book, and what Craig has revealed is quite… hardcore.

First, a bit of background. Back in 2007, when Britney Spears was going totally crazy and shaving her head and attacking people with umbrellas, Craig Ferguson made a bold choice for a late-night comic act – he chose not to make jokes about Britney. He shared his rationale with the audience one night, explaining: “Tonight, no Britney Spears jokes. Here’s why: The kind of weekend she had, she was checking in and out of rehab, shaving her head, getting tattoos. That’s what she was doing this weekend. This Sunday I was 15 years sober. I didn’t do it for anyone else but myself. I did it because it was an act of conscience. I’m amazed that not poking fun of somebody has become a news story. For me, comedy should have a certain amount of joy in it… It should be about attacking the powerful — the politicians, the Trumps, the blowhards — going after them. We shouldn’t be attacking the vulnerable.”

That was the first time I’d ever heard Craig talk about his alcoholism or his recovery, and since then, Craig has become sort of a poster boy for positive recovery. But in the next few months, I think we should expect to hear more about Craig’s road to sobriety, if the Enquirer’s excerpts are correct. Back some odd 17 years ago, Craig’s “moment of clarity” came one night when he was determined to commit suicide:

A suicidal Craig Ferguson drank himself to life!

Depressed and determined to kill himself, the zany CBS late-night star decided to have one last drink. An old friend – an Irish bartender – poured him a final big glass of sherry. And in the ensuing boozy haze, it somehow skipped Craig’s mind that he planned to leap off London’s Tower Bridge.

That’s just one of the bizarre stories the comic divulges in his upcoming memoir “American on Purpose” due to go on sale in the fall.

“Craig’s story is both heartwarming and chilling,” a publishing source told The Enquirer. “Overcoming his alcoholism and making it big on American television is the ultimate happy ending. But the guy came close to killing himself.”

In his upcoming book, the 47-year-old star reveals: “I was a drunk, a loser and a disaster as a human being. The shame was immense. It pushed me down like a terrible weight.”

After waking up one morning in a bar storage room, covered in his own vomit and urine, Craig headed to the Thames River prepared to end it all by jumping into the icy waters on Christmas Day 1992.

“Then came a chance meeting with the barkeep,” said a source familiar with the book. “That tumbler full of sherry and a blackout saved Craig’s life. When he woke up, he realized the debauchery had to end. He signed himself into rehab two months later and never took another drink.”

After moving to Hollywood, Craig quickly landed a role on “The Drew Carey Show” and stayed for seven years.

The handsome performer had a string of high-profile romances that included a wild, madcap romp with Sharon Stone.

Now married to his third wife, art dealer Megan Wallace Cunningham, the multitalented performer became an American citizen in 2008 and is grateful for the success his move to Los Angeles brought him, especially his gig hosting CBS’s “The Late Late Show”.

Craig writes that though he loves Scotland, it wasn’t big enough for his dreams and he had to get out, said the source, who added: “Fortunately for his fans, he lived to tell about it.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, July 11 2009]

American On Purpose sounds like a really good read, and it’s something I’ll definitely be picking up. My guess is that it won’t be all about his alcoholism and recovery – there will probably be funny stories as well, maybe even some pop culture stuff.

In other “Craig Ferguson is awesome” news, he just wrapped up a week-long USO tour for American troops stationed in Kosovo and Germany. It’s his third tour (he was touring when he wasn’t even an American citizen yet!), and for this one, Craig visited five bases. Craig said about the tour: “This time around, we are visiting Kosovo and Europe, and are having a great time meeting our troops serving our country.” Also, if you want to see two lovely Scots doing some kind of traditional jig, I absolutely love this old interview Craig did with Gerard Butler.

Craig Ferguson and his wife, Megan, are shown on 4/26/09. Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com