Eddie the Eagle endured crippling depression battle after wife asked for divorce
Dancing on Ice star Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards has opened up about going through the "darkest two years" of his life after his wife asked for a divorce.
Famous for his appearance as Great Britain's representative in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, Eddie really captured everyone's hearts despite finishing last in the ski jumping events.
Everyone remembers when Frank King, the boss of the Canadian games, highlighted Eddie during the closing ceremony, forever cementing his nickname in Olympic history. He said: "You have broken world records and you have established personal bests. Some of you have even soared like an eagle."
Eddie with his ex-wife, Samantha Morton (David Crump/Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock)
Eddie is competing on Dancing On Ice (PA)Eddie even had the British ski jumping record under his belt until 2001, and his touching tale of being the plucky underdog was turned into a heartwarming film with Taron Egerton playing him in 2015. Although he reached amazing heights in his career, the Dancing on Ice hero also experienced some really tough times.
Back in 2016, he bravely shared that he had split from his wife of 13 years, Samantha Morton. The pair met while Eddie was working part-time on the radio and studying for a law degree. The ITV star fell for his co-host on their afternoon show, and they quickly hit it off. They tied the knot in a fun drive-through wedding at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas back in 2003.
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They were happy together and had two daughters, Ottilie, who's now 19, and Honey May, 16. However, in 2014, things got tough when Sam told him she wanted to split up after he came back from a TV interview in Germany.
Eddie opened up about how hard those times were, even saying it was the worst part of his life when talking to The Sun: "It's been the worst two years of my life. The darkest, definitely. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But s**t happens. You've got to think life can give you some bad knocks no matter how hard you're knocked you've got to get up. We are still relatively close and I see the kids as much as I can."
Eddie shared that the breakup made him very sad. He usually doesn't let bad stuff get to him, but this time it was different. He told The Huffington Post how it really shook him: "Two years ago, my wife announced she wanted a divorce, and that affected me really badly. I never thought I could suffer from depression, but I realise I actually was depressed."
"I wasn't nasty, I was just in a very down place all the time. It was a real effort to go out and do things. Being Eddie the Eagle was nice because I had to perform, and that kind of helped pull me up. But when I got home, I switched back to Michael Edwards, and I'd be weeping in front of the telly, because I wanted to be at home with my kids, reading them a bedtime story."
The sportsman shared that it took him a long time to get better from his really bad depression which made him see life and mental health differently. He added: "I have tasted it, and I have a newfound respect and empathy for mental illness, depression and just how easy it is for people to get in a situation like that."
"I never thought I'd be someone who could get depressed, but it turns out it's very easy." The NHS says clinical depression is when you feel really sad for weeks or months, not just a few days like most people do sometimes.
If you need someone to talk to, you can call the Samaritans any time on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch, or check their website.
Watch Dancing on Ice on Sundays at 6.30pm on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX.
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