Paul Gascoigne – aka Gazza – has led a very troubled life, and it’s all been brought back to the spotlight in his new BBC documentary.
The former footballer was once the biggest star in the country.
However, his shocking spiral toward alcohol and drugs left his personal life and career in ruins.
His problems became so bad that he reportedly paid £20,000 to have anti-alcohol pellets put into his stomach to stop him from drinking.
Here are some of the most shocking moments that hit headlines.
Gazza hits headlines over racism incident
In 2016, Gazza was found guilty of “threatening or abusive words or behaviour” towards a black security guard, Errol Rowe, in Wolverhampton.
The headline read: “Gazza GUILTY: Paul Gascoigne admits racist ‘joke’ charge.”
He pleaded guilty to the charge which occurred during the An Evening With Gazza event. As a result, Gazza was forced to pay £1,000.
During the shocking incident, Gazza asked Errol: “Can you smile please, because I can’t see you?”
“You sought to get a laugh from an audience of over 1,000 people because of the colour of Mr Rowe’s skin,” the judge told him at the time.
“Mr Rowe was clearly humiliated on stage, as part of an act.”
Domestic abuse claims
Sheryl Gascoigne divorced Paul in February 1999.
The headline read: “They think it’s all over… It is now.”
Their split followed shocking allegations of domestic abuse at the hands of Gazza during their marriage.
“There’s a conspiracy of silence that surrounds domestic violence and that’s what makes it so hard to get a grip on reality when it’s happening to you,” said Sheryl in 1999.
“I honestly thought I was the only woman going through it. And I also felt I was somehow to blame for Paul’s behaviour.”
Read more: Piers Morgan slammed over damning Gazza documentary comments
One shocking incident is said to have occurred while Gazza and his wife were on holiday with his former teammate, Paul Stewart.
“Sheryl came down with dark sunglasses on and told my wife he’d hit her that night. Paul and I didn’t speak for seven, eight months,” said Paul.
Sharing his remorse for the incident, Paul later said: “There’s a lot that wasn’t good or perfect, but when it comes to the past, you can’t change it and have to take the bad with the good things that you’ve done, and the good things I would repeat in a heartbeat.”
Attempted suicide
In 2008, Paul hit headlines after reportedly attempting to take his own life.
Headlines read: “Gazza back in the Priory after ‘suicide bid’ in the bathtub of his London hotel.”
Read more: Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw on ‘unfair’ death of his wife at the age of just 43
According to the Daily Telegraph, Paul asked hotel staff to bring him a steak knife, but then he cancelled that request and just asked for a knife.
Fearing he might hurt himself, the hotel staff then called the police.
When officers arrived they reportedly found him holding his head under the water in the bath.
Pre-match rituals
Gazza revealed that before he would hit the pitch, he would indulge in alcohol and drugs.
He revealed that at his worst he would drink up to nine brandies, snort cocaine and neck wine.
The headline read: “‘I downed nine brandies and snorted cocaine… BEFORE matches’: Paul Gascoigne reveals greatest goals came after marathon benders.”
“I was on four bottles of whiskey per day for three months. It took two bottles just to stop the shakes,” he revealed on This Morning.
His son’s heartbreaking remarks
Paul’s son, Regan, who was 12 at the time, shocked fans when he shared that he believed his father would likely be dead soon.
“If I could wish, I would wish that he would go away from us. He’s probably going to die soon,” he said in 2012.
“Everyone thinks he’s Gazza but because he’s the top player doesn’t mean he’s a good dad or good person to be with, does it, really?
“I don’t think there’s any point in helping him.”
Regan added: “He’s my dad, he should have helped and seen me all these years. I don’t want to waste all my tears on him.
“I feel bad and sorry for him because he’s in this kind of state but it’s not our fault.”
The pair have since reconciled.
Gazza admits: ‘I died twice’
In 2014, he had to be driven to hospital after collapsing on his front doorstep with a bottle of vodka.
The headline read: “Gazza: I died twice in the back of an ambulance after World Cup bender.”
“The day after my accident, the hospital said I had died twice in the ambulance. Did my heart stop beating? I don’t know, I was dead.”
Some reports at the time even emerged claiming that he was dead.
Gazza airs on BBC Two tonight (April 20) at 9pm. Episodes one and two of Gazza are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
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