Paul Gascoigne reveals he was banned from every pharmacy in Newcastle in the midst of his drug addiction as he desperately tried to get a hold of Calpol.
The former Rangers footballer, who recently starred in Danny Dyer's new show Scared of The Dark, opened up about his addiction on the reality show. Paul, also known by his nickname Gazza, discussed his addiction and mental health problems on the show with his fellow contestants.
The footie ace added that during the depths of his addiction, he lied about having nine children in a bid to get Calpol. He said: "Unfortunately, I’ve got this addiction personality. I stopped going to rehab for stupid reasons you know."
He continued: "I was like, that’s the addict side of us so I went for Calpol.
"Calpol has 0.00 and it’s 1% of alcohol. And I thought well if I buy 10 bottles, that’s like having nearly a pint. I was going around chemists and saying listen, I didn’t wanna tell anyone but I’ve got nine kids, I need Calpol.
"They were saying nine kids, what are you doing with nine kids? I went yeah but don’t tell my family. It costs us a lot of money in maintenance. And eventually, I was barred from all the chemists I think in Newcastle!"
This isn't the first time Gazza has opened up about his drug addiction, as he previously told Good Morning Britain that he had an operation to combat his alcoholism. The former sportsman had three anti-alcohol pellets surgically placed inside his groin.
While on the Channel 4 show, the former Newcastle United legend struck up a bromance with The Wanted singer Max George, who also spoke candidly about his alcohol issues.
Reflecting on their friendship with Gazza, Max says: “Gazza, I’ve made a friend for life there. I don’t think he even knows actually how much.
"He’s helped me and Gazza was everything and way more you know, really kind. I’ve got a lot of things to sort out in my own life. I can’t stop thinking about Tom [Parker] and feeling all that and being in darkness isn’t nice.”
Gazza fended off competition from seven other famous faces, after spending 180 hours in complete darkness, living, eating, sleeping and completing challenges. Following his win, Paul admitted he had been "nervous" to take part but said the experience had made him "a better person".
The final episode of Scared Of The Dark aired on Thursday on Channel 4, with all five episodes available to watch via All4.
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