Alan Carr's husband says he got black eye by punching himself in the face

Alan Carr’s husband Paul Drayton has said he got his black eye by punching himself in the face.

The 46-year-old recently shared a photo on Instagram showing him with a nasty bruise around his eye, saying he’d had a “bad row”.

Drayton, who has battled alcohol problems in the past, has now told MailOnline that he did it to himself.

“I punched myself in the face because I hate myself. There was no fight,” he said.

“The Instagram post was just a joke, that's all,” he added.

Read more: Alan Carr turned down Strictly because it’s 'too much like hard work'

The picture was posted online earlier this week but was quickly taken down.

Comedian Carr, 45, then spoke out to say that Drayton “fell off the wagon” and that he was getting the help he needed.

The star told The Sun: “While I was away filming on location the past few weeks, Paul fell off the wagon and started drinking again. When I arrived back home from Wales, Paul was covered in scratches and bruises from a drinking binge."

He went on: “We are now working together to get the help he needs to get better which is our number one priority right now.”

Read more: Alan Carr revealed he got married in Adele's back garden - and she ordained

Carr and Drayton dated for around 10 years before tying the knot in 2018 in singer Adele’s back garden.

The comedian has spoken of Drayton’s previous issues with alcohol before, and once shared that he went teetotal to support his husband after he went to rehab.

Watch: Alan Carr getting help for husband Paul Drayton as he suffers relapse in alcoholism battle