Antony Worrall Thompson has blamed his shoplifting on his "shocking childhood".
The Ready Steady Cook star - who was given a formal caution by police in January for stealing cheese and wine on five separate occasions in 16 days from a Tesco store in Henley, Oxfordshire - believes after speaking to a counsellor that he was trying to sabotage his own success.
He told the Daily Express: "My counsellor has come up with several theories and one of them is that I may be addicted to risk. Partly because of the shocking childhood I had I can't believe in success and I almost want to sabotage it.
"My counsellor keeps saying that I'm always fighting. He says, you've done so well in your life that the war is won but you keep trying to find another battle to win.
"Is that the reason I took those things? I'm still unsure but I'm going to carry on with the sessions. I feel I want to get more to the bottom of it."
Antony also debated walking away from his wife Jay, their two children and his kids from a previous marriage and starting a new life following his police caution.
Explaining his reasoning, he said: "Not committing suicide but just starting another life. I thought that my family would be better off without me.
"Without Jay I don't know what I would have done. She and my kids have been fantastic."
