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Andy Fordham's widow has spoken movingly of how the darts legend's decision to kick the booze bought them another 14 years together.
The former Dartford publican and BDO world champion passed away last month at the age of 59 after suffering organ failure.
His signature mullet earnt him the nickname, The Viking and Mr Fordham was considered a legendary and likeable figure on the darts circuit.
But in addition to his sporting prowess the gentle giant also had his vices. He once weighed 31 stone and reportedly downed 25 bottles of lager a day before addressing his health issues.
Now his widow Jenny, 58, has spoken movingly of how she begged her husband to get on the wagon – and how it bought them 14 more precious years together.
She told The Mirror how she gave him the ultimatum: "You’ve got a choice. Go and have a drink, but go and find somewhere else to drink it because I’m not going to watch you die.
"I told him, ‘When I had cancer I got up every day, I put my make-up on and I worked. I didn’t know if I was going to survive. They told you, stop drinking and you will be all right, you will live’.
The grieving grandmother-of-eight added: “There were tears and a few words were said, and then in the morning he woke a completely different person."
Jenny, who has battled cancer twice, ran the Rose pub in Overy Street, Dartford with Andy but the pair stepped down in 2007.
They then moved to Charlton but retained close links and affection with the town.
The darts star had been in hospital last year for treatment for a blockage in his bowel before contracting Covid-19 early this year.
But it was liver damage which ultimately led to his death and Andy was admitted to hospital in June with an infection and was given medication to get his kidneys working properly.
Jenny also told The Mirror how the 12 months leading up to his death had been a nightmare.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer a second time and required an op, while daughter Emily had open-heart surgery to fix a faulty valve.
Then Andy lost his mum Maureen, 75, to cancer and suffered from depression.
Tributes poured in on social media following his death with darts professional Bobby George describing him as a "gentle giant" that was "loved by all".
Former heavyweight champion boxer Frank Bruno also paid tribute as he tweeted: "Every sport has characters and Andy was one of them. A lovely man."
The Bristol-born player was best known for his Sky Box Office encounter with Phil Taylor, the then reigning PDC world champion at Purfleet's Circus Tavern, in a match billed as "The Showdown".
But he was taken ill during the tie and was unable to finish.
His health problems scuppered his playing career and Mr Fordham was placed on the transplant list after suffering from cirrhosis – a scarring of the liver – caused by heavy drinking.
But despite shedding the pounds on multiple occasions his career began to slump and he took time off to remaster his trade.
The oche star's final tournament came in March 2018 after a failed attempt at qualifying for the Masters.
