Paul Gascoigne has broken down in tears during a Good Morning Britain interview while discussing the impact of his recent sexual assault trial.
Last week, Gascoigne was cleared of sexual assault charges, having been accused of kissing a woman on a train in August 2018.
Asked about the incident during his appearance on Wednesday’s GMB, he explained: “I was on the train and a couple of women wanted some selfies… when I got up, someone next to me said, ‘why do you want a photo with her she’s fat and ugly?’.
“So, I went and sat next to her and said, ’You are not fat and ugly, you are beautiful inside and out,. I learned that from treatment centres. I just thought I would give her a bit of confidence. I never thought anything of it. Until I went to the hotel and then got the call, we want to question you.” Gascoigne admitted he did kiss the woman in question, which he described as a “peck”, adding: “I just never thought anything, I didn’t feel it at a sexual way, or I didn’t look at that way, you know? I sat with my lawyers and they told me what could happen.”
As presenter Kate Garraway asked how he coped as the trial went on, the former footballer became more emotional revealing he became scared for his future as time went on.“I could have easily took the easy way out and took to drinking and not bothered about it. I stayed strong through it, you know,” said Gascoigne, who has previously battled alcohol addiction. “I took up some fishing, I’ve got my new manager Katie, she’s been fantastic. And I just talked to counsellors.… I used the tools…keeping myself busy.
“Then it gets hard when you walk around the streets and you have people saying we’re on your side, you know, the more people were on my side… I think I spent the whole year telling people I did nothing wrong.”
He also said that since the incident last year, other historic allegations were being made about him, referring to those responsible as “parasites” who are out to “cause trouble”.
“I am just so thankful to the jury and the judge that they have seen common sense in this,” he said.When asked whether the incident had changed his outlook, he insisted: “I don’t think I will ever change. I am who I am. I just felt that was not right for her to be called what she was called, fat and ugly. I suppose I would do that for anyone.
“I’ve always been a nice guy, a caring guy, I‘ll help anybody. But when it sort of backfires like that then you have to think twice on it. I’m not saying I did right, I’m not saying I did wrong.
“Obviously I’m more cautious and there are people out there trying to stab the knife in your back. I’m wary of that. I can’t change, I don’t know, I’ve been like this for years and years and years.”
Good Morning
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Useful helplines and websites:Victim Support - Visit victimsupport.org.uk or call 0808 168 9111
Sexual Abuse Referral Centres - Find a SARCRape Crisis - Visit rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 802 9999 The Rape and Abuse Line - Visit rapeandabuseline.co.uk or call 0808 800 0123 (answered by women) or 0808 800 0122 (answered by men).MORE GOOD MORNING BRITAIN... Susanna Reid Blasts Claims She's 'Complicit' In Piers Morgan's Controversial Views Being Aired Piers Morgan Isn’t Happy After GMB Viewers Vote For Him To Be Axed From ITV Show Piers Morgan Awkwardly Grills Strictly's AJ And Saffron About 'Curse' In Uncomfortable Interview