Quit Drinking After Losing My Wife: Simon Thomas

Simon Thomas was a household name. Blue Peter presenter number 27. Sky Sports Premier League. The job he'd dreamed of since he was a kid. And then, in November 2017, his wife Gemma was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on a Tuesday and gone by Friday morning. She was 40. Their son Ethan was 8.

Three weeks after the funeral, Simon found a bottle of gin in the kitchen cupboard. He poured it into a Ribena. Within months, vodka in a Coke can had become his go-to, Deliveroo was bringing litres of spirits to his door, and football socks were hiding bottles around the house.

He tried AA. He tried quitting for his friends. It never stuck. Then in January 2022 something different clicked. He quit for himself.

Simon talks to Dave about being famous and feeling like a fraud, the moment Ethan asked for a sip of his "Diet Coke," and why being sober has made him a better husband, dad, and presenter than alcohol ever did.

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the insta handle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/ or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice for Simon.

https://www.instagram.com/simonthomastv/

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/ 

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle/

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