Strictly Paul Merson's addiction battle and the staggering amount of money he lost

Having just survived another week on Strictly Come Dancing, Paul Merson has proven yet again that he doesn't give up without a fight. The sporting legend's participation in this year's BBC dancing competition has thrown a spotlight on the former footballer's personal life, notably his battle with addiction.

The former Arsenal and England star has not made any secret of the fact that he has suffered from a substance and gambling addiction in the past. He has previously spoken candidly about his battle with addiction and how he has gambled away millions of his hard-earned cash.

And while he succeeded in staying another week on Strictly, after finding himself in the bottom two with fellow contestant Toyah Willcox at the weekend, fans are reminded of the Sky Sports pundit's strong will and determination. In a 2019 documentary called Harry's Heroes, Paul opened up about how substance abuse and gambling have affected his life, and his continued struggles with addictions.

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The dad-of-eight received praise for his candid discussion of the topic and in the second series Merson confided in former Arsenal teammate, goalkeeper David Seaman, that he voluntarily attends Alcoholics Anonymous. He previously said on Sky Sports that he believes, for him, gambling is the worst form of addiction.

He said: "This is an illness, it's the worst illness I've got personally. People think just because you don't put anything in your body, just stop it with will power. You can't just stop it with will power, it's not like that." And speaking in the past on Good Morning Britain, he said: "When you want to get drunk or you want to get high, you have to put stuff into your body. If you don't pick up that first drink, you are never going to get drunk.

"Gambling, you don't have to put anything into you. It's there and it's just a weird feeling and when it gets hold of you, it just grips you. It's the people round you as well and it's just draining, you're constantly looking at your phone."

Paul, who used to earn around £20,000 a week in the late 1990s when he worked for Middlesbrough, has revealed he has spent in the region of £7 million on gambling during his darkest days. But he told hosts on Good Morning Britain in the past: "The money's not the problem, it's the sanity. You go insane at constantly keep on doing it.

"After the bet is on, you're like, what did I do that for? You search and search to get the bet on and as soon as you have done it, you're like, I can't believe what I've just done. And then the self worth comes in and you hate yourself."

He said the only way he can control the gambling addiction is to go to meetings. "I have to go to the meetings, it's the only thing that helps," he said.

He added: "Addiction is a strange thing because it can soon tell you that you are alright now. And you start to think maybe I am alright now and maybe I can have a little drink or one bet. And that's not the case."

Last year, on the BBC documentary Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me, he revealed how he relapsed into his bad habits during the lockdown period in 2020. "I've been addicted to alcohol and cocaine, but by far the most destructive and the only one I'm still struggling with today is gambling," he said. “If I want to get drunk or high, I have to put something up my nose or down me.

“Gambling's already in you, just waiting constantly, talking to you. I'd be sitting on the sofa and I'd look over at the kids. The hate I had for myself, thinking about how I'd let them down. The scary thing is you know there's only one outcome, but you can't stop."

According to Jive Dash, the 56-year-old's current net worth stands at around £12 million. And, as reported in the Express, that figure was set to be boosted significantly following his appearances on Strictly, where he could earn a further £100,000 on top of his basic fee if he becomes the eventual winner.