Elizabeth Vargas Returns to TV After Rehab: "I Am an Alcoholic"

Elizabeth Vargas is starting a new chapter. The 51-year-old journalist returned to TV on Friday, Jan. 24, following her stint in rehab last fall for alcoholism. In a pre-taped interview with Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos, Vargas admitted, "I am. I am an alcoholic."

"It took me a long time to admit that to myself," she explained. "It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am."

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Vargas shared back in November that she was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. She left rehab two weeks after her announcement, tweeting: "Hello everyone! I am home, and so grateful for all your support and well wishes. I am so much better and taking it one day at a time."

The 20/20 anchor told GMA Friday that she decided she needed help after she realized she was "in no shape" to do an interview one day. Vargas shared that wine was her drink of choice. "At night I -- that was a ritual," she said. "I should've realized it was a problem way back when Zachary, my oldest son, was born. And he used to call my nightly glass of wine 'mommy's juice.' You know, and I thought that was hysterical. It didn't occur to me that that was a problem."

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Vargas, mom to Zachary, almost 11, and Samuel, 7, said her husband, Marc Cohn, had previously told her to get help, but she didn't listen.

"'You have a problem. You're an alcoholic,'" she recalled Cohn saying. "It made me really angry, really angry. But he was right."

Vargas said her triggers to drink were stress and anxiety. "That's exhausting, to live like that," she explained. "And it becomes very easy to think 'I deserve this glass of wine. I'm so stressed out . . .'"

"I started thinking 'Well, you know, I'll only drink, you know, on weekends. I'll only drink, you know, two glasses of wine a night. I won't drink on nights before I have to get up and do Good Morning America," Vargas recalled. "But those deals never work."

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Now, Vargas said she leans on family and friends to help her through stressful times. "I'm part of AA," she said. "I have a sponsor. I have great, great friends who I love and who love me."

How did she know when she was ready to leave treatment?

"It's a psychic change, I think. I mean, it's learning to accept that I'm human," she said. "That there's nothing wrong with failing, that there's nothing wrong with feeling anxiety."

Vargas will share more of her story when she returns to 20/20 on Friday, Jan. 24.

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Grant Baker Wins Mavericks Surf Comp

The Mavericks surf competition off the Northern California coast delivered massive waves, and in the end South Africa's Grant "Twiggy" Baker took home the crown.

Forecasters had predicted that the mix of swell size and weather would make for faces exceeding 40 feet, and Mother Nature didn't disappoint with some appearing to exceed 50 feet.

Baker, 40, also won the competition in 2006 and is considered one of the world's foremost big wave riders.

Each year if conditions are right the contest is held at the perilous surf spot, which is near the San Francisco Bay Area city of Half Moon Bay.

Two seasoned watermen have died there, including legendary big-wave rider Mark Foo from Hawaii in 1994.

Only surfers invited to the event can participate, and the event is only held when conditions are prime. This year, invitations went out to 24 of the world's best big wave surfers.

The participants compete in groups throughout the day, with judging based on the quality of the wave, difficulty of the drop and the surfer's performance.

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BOW WOW BARKS BACK AFTER "106 & PARK" FIRING RUMORS

Cash Money Records' Bow Wow has piped down rumors and reports claiming his days as BET's "106 & Park" co-host have come to an end.

Bow Wow jumped onto his Twitter page to downplay the widespread rumors.

""@HipHopture: @YMCMB_BW clear it for fans bro !! Clear what? That ill see yall at 6pm tomorrow live on TV like i do err day whats changed?," Bow Wow tweeted January 23.

"In my closet at @106andpark right now doing my Ebony Magazine photo shoot. Theres some things that can be stopped, but my hustle is in motion our plan is to take over the world!" (Bow Wow's Twitter)

Rumors about the rapper receiving a pink notice heated up the Internet last night (January 22).

"He want people to start calling him Bow Wow, but still acting like he got the 'Lil' in front of his name" Says one 106 & Park executive who witnessed Bow Wow being escorted off of the B.E.T. property. Bow Wow real name Shad Moss was fired from 106 & Park just hours ago after an accountant discovered he used company funds to pay for his monthly child support to baby mother Joie Chavis. (Cream BMP)

The gossip has also spurned a ludicrous statement from an alleged BET executive regarding the firing.

"I don't care what video vixen he decided to skeet in, B.E.T. money, is B.E.T.'s money" Said Roger Payme a senior accountant speaking on how Bow wow charged over $30,000 in child support to a company card he was issued for wardrobe and travel. "I'm driving a used Honda and his daughter got a toy Bentley for Christmas, ain't that a b1tch?" B.E.T. plans to air reruns until they find a suitable replacement, but expects no slip in ratings since nobody really watches 106 & Park since AJ & Free left anyway. (Cream BMP)

Back in 2012, Bow Weezy came forward and dismissed speculation of being broke.

"I love it, I just laugh at it," Bow Wow said in an interview. "One thing about me, I'm a smart guy. Very smart. Things that I do, are for reasons. Things that I don't do are for reasons. So for myself, I'm comfortable, very comfortable. For me, it's all about the work. I really don't read blogs -- I don't really read blogs at all because that's not why I'm in the [rap] game at all. I'm in the game for my fans and to make them smile and to make them enjoy what I do. But as far as rumors, those are people's opinions -- until you see me on a corner with a cardboard box saying I'll tap dance for food for canned goods, then you can say that [I'm broke]." (Real Talk NY)

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