{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/64a1692cfc86ab00111f2ce6/64a1693a779dba00115088ad?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Quit Drinking After Losing My Wife: Simon Thomas","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/64a1692cfc86ab00111f2ce6/64a1693a779dba00115088ad.jpg?height=200","description":"<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>He tried AA. He tried quitting for his friends. It never stuck. Then in January 2022 something different clicked. He quit for himself.</p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the insta handle @Soberdave&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/</a> or via my website&nbsp;<a href=\"https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/</a></p><p>Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice for Simon.</p><p><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/simonthomastv/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/simonthomastv/</a></p><p><a href=\"https://bloodcancer.org.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://bloodcancer.org.uk/</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services</a></p><p><a href=\"https://nacoa.org.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://nacoa.org.uk/</a></p><p>Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez</p><p>Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez</p><p><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/</a>&nbsp;</p><p><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/grownuphustle/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">www.instagram.com/grownuphustle/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href=\"https://megaphone.fm/adchoices\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a></p>","author_name":"David Wilson - Sober Coach"}