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Paul Merson has revealed that his earnings from Strictly Come Dancing are being transferred directly to his wife Kate.
The arrangement is part of his ongoing efforts to manage his gambling addiction, which has cost him an estimated £7million over three decades.
Merson, who narrowly survived elimination in Week 3 of the popular BBC dance competition, has been open about his struggles with addiction.
Despite finding himself in the bottom two alongside Toyah Willcox, the former Arsenal and England footballer managed to secure his place for another week.
Paul Merson is currently taking part in BBC’s Strictly Come DancingPA
Merson has always been open about his struggles with addiction.
In a 2019 documentary, he candidly discussed his problems, describing gambling as “the worst illness” he’s personally faced.
He revealed he has gambled away approximately £7million throughout his life in total.
Merson has emphasised his belief that gambling addiction is particularly insidious, stating: “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.”
Paul Merson narrowly avoided being eliminated last weekend
PA
The former footballer hopes his participation in the show will inspire others who live with addiction
PA
During the Covid-19 lockdowns he gambled away a £160,000 deposit for a family home on table tennis bets.
He continues to attend meetings as part of his ongoing recovery process.
Merson has spoken about how he wants his participation in Strictly Come Dancing to provide hope for others battling addictions.
“Being an addict and a recovering alcoholic myself… to show people watching this show who have got addictions, that you can go out and do something like this… is so important,” Merson stated.
“Now I’m going in front of millions of people doing something I’m not very good at.
“I used to think, ‘I can’t do things like that’ but now I’ve got the opportunity to try.”
Despite his ongoing struggles, Merson has made significant progress in his recovery.
Earlier this year, he proudly announced that he has been clean and sober from alcohol and drugs for five years.
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