Paul Gascoigne appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday morning to speak about his new book, while giving viewers a health update after his battles with depression, OCD and alcoholism
Paul Gascoigne told Good Morning Britain that “life’s good” in a TV appearance on Monday. The Newcastle United, Tottenham and England legend sat down on the flagship ITV breakfast show to promote his brand-new book, Eight.
And when asked by Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid how he is doing, the 58-year-old replied: “Yeah I’m good. Life’s good at the moment.”
The topic of conversation then turned to Gazza’s longstanding battle with alcohol addiction, as Madeley asked what he is like when under the influence of alcohol. To which, Gascoigne replied: “Nightmare. I used to be alright, I used to be a happy drunk but now I’m quite a sad drunk really, to be fair.
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“Drink doesn’t go with me any more. But I can go months and months without, and then I’ll have a two-day blip, and then the consequences…I don’t like myself for a few days. I just get miserable.
“And then all of a sudden I got to an AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meeting and just listened. You wonder what it is you, know? It wasn’t until I first went to the AA meetings that I realised I am an alcoholic, unfortunately.”
When Reid then probed him on what it is about alcoholism that makes it feel like it’s never conquered, Gascoigne added: “Yeah, I’m a bit like that myself. I think I’m ignorant to myself.
“I always think I’ll be alright having one, and sometimes it does work. I’ll just have a couple and leave it. And then maybe a month down the line, I’ll just hit it for two days.
“You know, I used to drink for weeks on end, but now it’s only a couple of days blip. But that’s enough for me really.”
When asked if it’s impossible to give alcohol up completely, Gazza replied: “Not really. I’ve done five years, I’ve done four years. It’s like anything else.
“If you’re sit in the barbers long enough you’re going to get a haircut. I did this book, number Eight just to try and help others. It’s not about football, it’s just like what I’ve put myself through. [SIC] I just know number Eight was alright for me when I played football and not alright when I hit the drink.”
In his new book, Gazza details a bizarre story, in which he hit a man with his car while he and a friend were driving some girls home. Speaking in his book, which has been serialised by the Daily Mail, Gascoigne said: “I soon became the hottest property in football with every club in the country wanting me, despite my daft antics off the pitch.
“My partner in crime was often my best mate Jimmy Gardiner, or Jimmy Five Bellies as I nicknamed him because he was the same height as me but about 30 stone heavier. The first time I got into trouble with the police was when Jimmy persuaded me to give some girls a lift home in my Mini, even though I still hadn’t got my licence.
“I ended up knocking over this guy as he crossed the road in front of me. I stopped the car, rushed over and I could see he was moving – I hadn’t killed him, at least. But then I just panicked and drove off.
“I mustn’t have been thinking straight and was also terrified of getting into trouble with Newcastle United. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I got a snooker cue and I smashed the windows of my car in, thinking I would pretend someone else had been driving it.
“But that didn’t wash with the police when they tracked me down. Me and Jimmy had to go to court over that. We were fined and given points on our licences, even though I didn’t have one yet.”
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