Paul Merson ‘does not see’ Strictly fare as it goes to someone else | TV and radio Show and television

Arsenal legend Paul Merson is fighting to keep his place on Strictly Come Dancing as the popular TV show returned for another weekend of glitz and glamour.

The former England player narrowly survived Week 3, clashing with Toyah Willcox in a tense dance-off, but was eventually bailed out by the judges, leading to the 80s star’s departure. Despite the ‘stress, Merson is making the most of the situation, taking on a new challenge, a remarkable achievement given his past personal struggles.

The football commentator has spoken candidly about his past struggles with gambling, alcohol and drug use and now aims to serve as a symbol of hope through his participation in the BBC show. “Being an addict and a recovering alcoholic myself… showing people who watch this show that they have addictions, that you can go out and do something like that… it’s very important,” he said.

“Because addiction takes you away from everything. That’s all it does. It wants you on your own,” according to Wales Online. Embarking on the Strictly adventure, Merson reflected: “Now I’m in front of millions of people doing something I’m not very good at. I used to think, ‘I can’t do stuff like this’, but now I have the chance to try it.”

Merson’s battle with addiction, especially gambling and alcohol, is well known. In the public eye, he has advocated for change in the gambling industry, a habit he admits cost him £7m over three decades.

He is now banned from all bookmakers and said his earnings, including the six-figure sum he will earn from his appearance on Strictly, are now being transferred directly to his wife Kate to prevent her wasting them on gambling random

He admitted his gambling problems led him to consider suicide “every day”, telling talkSPORT he only felt relief when he had “nothing left”. “When I got to zero I said, ‘I don’t have to do this anymore,'” he said.

In another candid admission, he also revealed his struggles continued during the Covid-19 lockdowns as he gambled a £160,000 family home deposit on table tennis bets. Earlier this year, a proud Merson announced that he has been clean and sober from alcohol and drugs for five years, having also struggled with those addictions during his career.

In 1994 he confessed in a press conference that he was addicted to cocaine, which led the FA to intervene and send him to rehab.

In a candid piece for the Mail, he recounted days of substance abuse before training and how his spiraling debts led him to trade the team’s gear. In her revealing memoir, she confesses: “I started going to an all-night pub in Smithfield Market. Drinking alone and blowing toilets,” and admitted: “I took a black cab at 8am to take me to sleep. to train and even have a couple of big hits sitting in the back.”

Detailing his struggles with addiction, Merson didn’t shy away from the hard times, relaying, “I had bookies chasing me, dealers chasing me. I settled a cocaine debt by handing in my blazer from the “Arsenal and reporting that I had been robbed, paranoia took over.”

His successful career with notable clubs such as Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Portsmouth and even England, now contrasts with his considerable fortune of approximately £12 million.

Amidst the ups and downs, love triumphs for Merson, who this summer celebrated eight years of happy marriage with his partner Kate; together they have three children, son Freddie and daughters Sienna and Sadie. Previously married to Lorraine Costin, the love of his youth, the former athlete shares three children with her.

The marriage dissolved in 2001 when she revealed the extent of his gambling obligations.

His subsequent marriage to Louise Bache, mother of his twin daughters Mollie and Maisie, also ended in 2013 due to his ongoing battles with addiction. Showing a more jovial side on the Strictly launch show, she joked about her limited dancing experience: “I’ve danced three times, they were all at my weddings!”