Ronnie O’Sullivan has to stay away from clubs and big drinkers in addiction battle

Ronnie O’Sullivan has opened up about his battle with booze addiction – saying he has to stay away from clubs and big drinkers.

The snooker legend, who has won seven World Championships, says his worst times were between 1994 and 2000 when he was partying too hard.

A stint in rehab and the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps programme as well as Narcotics Anonymous have helped him fight his demons for years. But he says he has learned to stay away from big boozers and boozy establishments.

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The “Rocket”, 47, who has a new book about his rollercoaster life out this week, said: “I went to AA and NA, I learned about addiction and struggled for about three or four years, because I just couldn’t accept that I was an addict.

“Now I don’t question it, whereas before, I’d go out and try to drink sensibly and fail miserably. So now, I think, don’t even start.

“They say if you stand outside the barber’s long enough, eventually you’ll get a haircut. So I stay away from clubs, from people that drink. They’re not for me, because eventually that will be me.”

Ronnie, who has been with his partner, Holby City actress Laila Rouass, for a decade. Despite splitting up briefly last year, they have now reconciled.

And Ronnie said: “It’s good. She’s great. I love her. She’s great company and I love being around her. She’s very supportive.

“I have to behave myself – I know when to go, ‘Alright, you’re in charge’. But she’s also really good at going, ‘Listen, you’ve got a busy life, you’ve got a lot to do, just get on with it’.

“Now it feels a lot better – everyone’s just in a better place. I just want to see her and her daughter happy [Rouass has a teenage daughter from a previous relationship], and her family, who are like my family, happy.”

Unbreakable by Ronnie O’Sullivan with Tom Fordyce is published by Seven Dials on May 11, priced £22.

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