Paul Gascoigne gets emotional during an interview, recalling memories and gave an update on his struggles with alcoholism and mental health.
The 58 year old appeared on Good Morning Britain, openly discussed his battle, noting periods of sobriety lasting up to five years, though he still experiences relapses.
Gascoigne’s candid autobiography details his struggles, including drinking brandy during a cup final halftime, which he believes enhanced his performance.
Now, he focuses on staying sober and helping others, including collaborating with Prince William on homelessness initiatives.
He finds watching football difficult, believing he could still play, and occupies his time with activities like tennis and fishing.
‘What is it about alcohol that means you can never feel like you’ve conquered it?’@susannareid100 and Richard talk to Paul Gascoigne about his struggles with alcoholism and mental health. pic.twitter.com/NaIGCHIl3t
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 13, 2025
Paul Gascoigne says he’s re-joined Alcoholics Anonymous to help him with his decades-long fight to stay sober.
In his brand new book ‘Eight’, Paul opens up about his struggles with alcohol and battles with mental health. @JamesGooderson reports. pic.twitter.com/8Di9idww11
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 13, 2025
Asked how he is doing, he replied: “Yeah I’m good. Life’s good at the moment.”
Richard Madeley asked what he is like when under the influence of alcohol. 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.
“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.”
Susanna on what it is about alcoholism that makes it feel like it’s never conquered, Paul said: “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.”
On if it’s impossible to give alcohol up completely, he said: “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. I just know number Eight was alright for me when I played football and not alright when I hit the drink.
Richard: “I talked about your trademark frankness, it’s one of the most honest autobiographies I think I’ve ever read. You don’t hold back. In all the detail, I mean for example you say that when you were playing, you used to be necking Brandy in the dressing room 15 minutes before you went on.”
Paul: Yeah, it was half time, it was in the cup final, it half time and the man just said he had a drink and I went no. And went go and get one, I went okay.
“So had nine brandies, I went out and scored two in the cup final, got man of the match.
“But I wasn’t allowed to be at the dinner party because I’d already had my drink at half time.
Richard Did it affect the way you played?
Paul: No, no, it made me play better, I think.
Richard:How do you feel looking at these pictures now? Because I know, again, you say in the book that you just can’t watch football anymore.
Pauk: No, I think it’s hard. so much. Yeah, because I still think I can play when you look at some of the players. I think God, yeah.
“I still think I can play, know, and I find it hard to watch it. And I don’t like the voice thing and stuff like that, know, I’ll be like in football shortly, you know, so I try and take up the time with like bit of tennis, a bit of fishing.”
He got emotional when detailing watching someone close to him die, recalling a memory back when he was a child, he looked after the younger brother of a friend, who was tragically struck down by a car and killed.
“Yeah, his younger brother wouldn’t go to the boys’ club, and I said I’d look after him. He was only eight and I was 10.
“I ran down and he died in my lap. I thought he was still alive because his lips moved a bit. I went, ‘He’s ok, he’s breathing,’ but he wasn’t. That was his last movement.”
Paul recalled picking the young boy up out of the coffin and was startled by how cold he was. He continued: “When the coffin left, I went and stayed with them again, in that same room for a week.
“I was only 10, I was staying in the same room with a coffin, it was horrific.”
Richard asked whether he believes that the experience traumatised him so much that it resulted in multiple issues later on in adult life.
Paul agreed, saying he was taken to a psychiatrist by his mum at the age of 10. He said, “I ended up with noises and twitches, and I said I refused to go and see him anymore. It wasn’t until I really started getting involved with football that it started getting my mind off of everything.”
He also said sorry to viewers after swearing on-air while recalling how he believed his parents were leaking stories to the press while discussing a particular passage in his book.
He commented: “When I first tried it (drugs) it was only because of the phone hacking, I fell out with my mum and dad for three months.
“That destroyed us, I couldn’t hack it and then I took the drugs and then my dad sectioned me.”
Susanna said, “The reason that you are so upset is because you became paranoid, didn’t you? During the phone hacking scandal, because you didn’t know who was spilling the beans.”
He replied: “The only people I spoke to were my mum and dad, and it kept coming out in the newspapers. So I fell out with them. I ended up having six mobile phones. I’m thinking, mum and dad what are you f****ng doing? Sorry for that swearing.”
Richard added: “We apologise too for the language there, but obviously it’s very emotional, we understand.”
Paul Gascoigne & Ally McCoist reunited at talkSPORT Towers this morning 💙
Missed Gazza on White & Jordan? 🎥 Watch it back on our YouTube channel or listen again on the talkSPORT app👂#PaulGascoigne #Gazza #AllyMcCoist #talkSPORT pic.twitter.com/6xviun27ZN
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 13, 2025
Paul Gascoinge also appeared on talkSPORT, reuniting with Ally McCoist, and brought up many a story including pranking Gordon Durie with a Trout, and revealed ALL on the failed Man United move and why he joined Spurs.
@smithyuk123: @JimWhite @Sjopinion10 so refreshing to hear Gazza’s voice and he seemingly sounds fully functioning and alert. When Gazza speaks, everybody listens. There is not many people that have that effect.
@JetSingh1892: @talkSPORT if white and Jordan can tame Gazza, and just improve his slurring a tad…..biggest asset to any radio station possible!!!!
@PWally_25: Painful listen to @JimWhite “interviewing” Gazza and reminding him of his regrets. Like he hasn’t relived all this before.
– your career could have been better if you signed for Utd
– your reaction to Hoddle not picking you was crazy
– talk us through the tears in Italia 90
@2022BenjiC:
Gazza on tip top form again
What a bloke
What a character
@chris83jones: Loving listening to Gazza on @talkSPORT – but my god, @JimWhite isn’t half reminding him of his demons.
