nlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk

Darts champion Andy Fordham has revealed his “year of hell” – resulting in him ballooning to 24 stone through comfort eating.

The former world title holder had shed 15 stone after medics warned he would be dead if he didn’t curb his lifestyle. He’s become teetotal but a series of family crises has led him to pile back on the pounds, and then stones.

Speaking from his home, he said: “Where do you want me to start? Me and my family have had a hellish year and I’m glad to see the end of it all. Now I need to build up my confidence. It’s taken a bad knock.

“The misery of it all turned me to comfort eating, downing two large dairy ice cream tubs a day and loads and loads of biscuits. I’ve shot up in weight from 16 to 24 stone.

“But with all the recent bad times now behind me, I’m determined to get back in shape and back into the sport in a serious way.

“Losing weight is going to be key to my ambition. Some years back, I reduced from my highest ever level of 31 stone to 16. If I could do it then, I can do it again.”

Andy, known in Dartford affectionately as The Viking, where for many years he owned The Rose in Overy Street, faced a traumatic series of incidents to him and his family. He revealed:

• How he smashed his face and broke his leg when a black taxi he was in braked hard and sent him hurtling against the window partition. His leg was in plaster for 10 weeks
• How he later slipped on a paving stone after visiting his elderly father, smashing his knee which then became infected. It resulted in Andy having to take 24 antibiotics a day to kill off the bugs embedded in torn skin tissue
• How his 81-year-old dad suffered two strokes
• How his wife Jenny received a series of scans after a period of poor health. Fortunately she’s now recovered
• How their daughter Emily was rushed to Darent Valley Hospital with a blood clot. Then last year lost her first child in a miscarriage

“It’s been an unbelievably sad time for everyone. But things are beginning to look up. Jenny is working now for a bookmakers and has been promoted to manager. I’m very proud of her.

“If it wasn’t for Jenny, I’d probably have gone back to drinking.”

Some years back he was warned by doctors to ditch his hard-drinking ways as it would kill him – at that time he was downing 25 bottles of beer a day.

Andy has since moved away from Dartford to Charlton but retains close links and affection with the town.

On his battle with the bulge and the booze, he said: “Fortunately I’ve remained dry and avoided a liver transplant.

My consultant is very pleased with the state of my liver, but is unhappy about the ice cream and biscuits.
“Now I suck only one lolly a day. That’s comfort for you!”