Comedian Tony Slattery said yesterday that his
two-year battle against drink and drugs made him an ideal choice for rector of Dundee University.
Slattery, who backs the legalisation of cannabis, described his installation as rector as ''the most important day of my life''.
The 38-year-old star of Whose Line Is It Anyway? said his high-profile battle with drink and drugs meant he could relate to the pressures that students faced.
''What I went through with drugs means I am not ignorant or judgmental about the pressures on students and the temptations to go off the rails.''
Slattery - whose predecessors as rector include Peter Ustinov, Clement Freud and Stephen Fry - spoke highly of Dundee and suggested that the city should have more pride in its achievements.
''Dundee is one of the top five universities in the UK, especially with the extraordinary advances in cancer research,'' he said.
''But one thing that comes across from most Dundonians is an air of
self-deprecation. Perhaps I can use whatever media profile I might have to put Dundee on the map.''
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