How Gazza is kissing goodbye to his demons
THROUGHOUT his recent torment, Paul Gascoigne has rarely found reason to display his famous grin.
But a tender kiss from his ex-wife Sheryl during a family outing was more than enough to start the fallen soccer idol beaming.
Blending into the crowd at a shopping centre, the couple enjoyed a relaxing evening at the cinema with their son Regan, 12, and Sheryl’s daughter Bianca, 21.
Former model Sheryl, 43, who split from Gascoigne in 1999, has vowed to stand by the former England international as he battles his demons.
Alcoholic Gascoigne, 42, took refuge at The Priory clinic, Surrey, after being sectioned three times under the Mental Health Act.
Friends, family and millions of fans looked on in despair as the footballing genius’s life spiralled out of control.
Even those closest to him, including former England manager Terry Venables, were helpless to prevent his spectacular breakdown, which at one point saw him slumped asleep in a hairdresser’s salon.
Despite their bitter divorce, Sheryl answered Gazza’s cry for help and, following a tearful reunion at The Priory, has been slowly aiding his recovery.
During their latest outing at the weekend in Fulham, west London, Gazza stunned cinema-goers with his relaxed and happy demeanour.
After the show, his group went to a nearby supermarket where they bought a few groceries before returning to the clinic.
An onlooker said: “They looked just like any happy family enjoying an evening out together. They were laughing and joking and seemed really at ease.
“Gazza was looking really well. He had a big smile on his face and looked better than he has in ages.
“He looked like he had put a bit of weight on and it was great to see that cheeky grin back.”
The family had spent a relaxed afternoon at Kew Gardens.
They looked just like any happy family enjoying an evening out together
A friend of the former Newcastle, Spurs, Lazio and Rangers star said of Sheryl: “She is one of the few people who has been able to get through to him and help him. Despite everything they have been through, when the chips were down she was there for him and he really appreciates that.”
Sheryl has been travelling regularly from her home in Hertfordshire to support Gascoigne.
The couple married in 1996 but split after he admitted attacking her in a series of drunken rages.
He headbutted her at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, leaving her bruised and with a damaged hand.
