There were mornings when Rob Ford - then the mayor of Canada's largest city - woke up on park benches.

The councillor made the admission during a candid interview in his return to Bill Carroll's radio show Thursday.

At the height of his crack cocaine scandal, Carroll banned Ford and his brother Doug Ford from coming on his AM640 show until the ex-mayor was "clean and sober and healthy."

On Thursday, Carroll brought Ford back on the air and the councillor apologized to the radio host.

"I lied, I connived, I did everything to cover up for my addiction," Councillor Ford told Carroll. "It has been 18 months, I have not had a drop of alcohol or done any drugs since I got out of rehab last year. I have been fighting cancer. I feel better than I've ever felt before even with this cancer."

But Ford did tell Carroll he hopes to be back in the mayor's chair in three years.

Here's some highlights from Ford's interview with Carroll:

"I still haven't seen the video and I still want the whole world to see it."

"If the video comes out, I'll be more than happy to come on the air and try to explain what it is."

- Rob Ford on the first crack video

"I don't even remember some of the nights. I don't know how I got home sometimes. I didn't get home some nights. I woke up on park benches some mornings."

- Rob Ford on his past drinking and drug use

"Definitely. I admit to that. I was using cocaine, I was using marijuana … I was snorting a lot of cocaine and smoking a lot of dope."

- Rob Ford on his past drug use

"It all started from drinking. I'd be drinking and by the time I killed a 26er, I'd be going well on a 40. Then that's when all the coke comes and everything else comes after the alcohol. The alcohol is the devil - it is the worst drug around."

- Rob Ford on alcohol

"It's tough. The damage is done and I can't change the past. I know one thing, I'm sure as hell going to change the future."

- Rob Ford after an emotional pause on air talking about how he's embarrassed his family

"Not many wives would stick by you. My wife Renata has stuck by me through thick and thin … If I could only tell people, just stick through the tough times because there is light at the end of the tunnel."

- Rob Ford on his wife Renata