Alex Scott has revealed she discovered former love Kelly Smith had alcohol problems at the start of their romance.
The ex-England football stars enjoyed a magical first date but their secret eight-year relationship was nearly over before it began.
Alex said on their second night out Kelly boozed through a Mary Poppins musical in the West End.
She added: "Here I was, madly in love for the first time in my life, with an alcoholic. It didn’t bode well."
The BBC sports host was just 19, with Kelly six years older, and Alex had faced alcohol addiction with her dad.
But the stars made their love work when moving from Arsenal to US club Boston Breakers and back again.
By 2013, however, cracks started to show before Kelly suggested they should split. Alex, 37, who has released memoir How (Not) To Be Strong, admits her ex’s issues played a big part in their break-up.
She said: "I was tired of feeling like I had to look after Kelly especially when people would come to me and tell me to sort out her drinking."
A decade after their split, Alex admits having been "closed off for a very long time" when it comes to finding a partner.
Now, she has hinted at wanting to start a family, adding: "For the first time since Kelly I can feel myself ready to love again."
Kelly, 43, went into rehab twice and has since married and has two children.
She previously admitted she drank until she passed out, adding: "I’m not embarrassed to talk about it. If I can help other female athletes, that’s good."
*How (Not) To Be Strong, Penguin Books, £20.
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