Shaun Ryder, the iconic frontman of Happy Mondays, has always been known for his wild and unpredictable life. From his days in the music scene to his personal anecdotes, he’s never short of a story. But one particular tale stands out – facing down an orangutan named Jack the Ripper.
The musician from Manchester is set to release a new memoir, adding to the two autobiographies he’s already written. In addition to that, he’s working on a new album with Happy Mondays, their first in 20 years. This creative phase comes as he reflects on his past, including some bizarre experiences during the band’s fourth album recording in 1992.
During a trip to Barbados, Shaun found himself in an unexpected situation. He described how he encountered a large orangutan on a beach, which locals had warned him about. The animal, nicknamed Jack the Ripper, was said to be dangerous. Despite the warnings, Shaun was determined to stand his ground.
He told The Sun: “This thing just dropped out of the trees right in front of me. It was a fing big orangutan.” According to Shaun, he didn’t show any fear and instead growled at the animal, shouting, “Grrr, arrrgh, f off, just f*** right off.” To his surprise, this worked, and he left unscathed.
It’s worth noting that orangutans are not native to Barbados, and at the time, Shaun was reportedly smoking “50 rocks of crack cocaine a day.” Still, he insists it wasn’t a hallucination.
The fourth studio album wasn’t a commercial success, and the band split the following year. However, Shaun’s life has been filled with more than just musical challenges. He shared stories of being held hostage for two days in Amsterdam, witnessing someone get shot in the head, and narrowly escaping an arrest in a heroin house.
After turning 40, Shaun gave up drugs and now lives a sober life with his wife, Joanne, and their children. He doesn’t have any alcohol in the house they share together.
In an Instagram post two years ago, Shaun expressed his love for his wife, writing: “Happy Birthday to my amazing wife Joanne. I really can’t put into words how much she means to me. You are the best – we love you loads.” He credits her with helping him stay sober.
Shaun and Joanne have two children, Pearl and Lulu. He jokes that he ferries them around like a “f***ing taxi service.” However, he admits that this wasn’t the case with the other four children from previous relationships. He says he didn’t see them much and wasn’t the best dad.
Joanne currently manages the TV side of Shaun’s career, which has seen him appear on various reality shows. With old bandmate Mark Berry, better known as Bez, Shaun regularly appears on Celebrity Gogglebox.
The Manchester icons presented an award at the Brits Awards together in their home city last month. Shaun has also been in the jungle twice with I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, once in Australia and once in South Africa.
