Kirsty Gallacher says her dad’s cardiac arrest made her ‘re-evaluate my life and marriage’ before split from rugby star husband Paul Sampson
KIRSTY Gallacher has revealed that her father’s cardiac arrest made her “re-evaluate her life” before she split from rugby star ex-husband Paul Sampson.
Appearing on Fabulous magazine’s new podcast Things I Told My Daughter, the former Sky Sports host confessed to host Lisa Snowdon that almost losing her father in August 2013 made her take stock of her life – including her marriage.
Kirsty‘s father Bernard – who was won three Ryder Cups over the course of his golf career – suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest six years ago after giving a speech at a hotel in Aberdeen.
Her mother Lesley – who also featured on the podcast – said: “It was just a shock, a huge shock. It was very touch and go for a while.”
Thankfully, Kirsty’s father made a full recovery and recently celebrated his 70th birthday surrounded by his family – but six years later, they still haven’t found out what caused the cardiac arrest.
Opening up about that tough time, the mum-of-two, 43, admitted: “I think it made me re-evaluate my life.
“You want to feel happy every day and fulfilled and life is just too short.”
The presenter married former England Rugby Union international Paul Sampson in 2010 – but the couple divorced in 2015.
The couple met in 1999 and share two sons – Oscar, 12, and Jude, 9.
Admitting that she “hit rock bottom” in the wake of the split, Kirsty added: “It’s very upsetting, I feel like I was blaming myself for everything.
“I’m sure Paul was doing the same. Because you have children in your care. It’s a horrible, horrible burden.”
She added: “The last three years have been very tough but it is for anybody getting divorced.
“Because you go through not only grief, but trauma, almost separation anxiety and abandonment issues in a way.
“I have talked about before the fact that you come out of it and you feel like you need to be with someone else.”
In 2017, Kirsty dated Lewis actor Lawrence Fox for six months shortly after he separated from Billie Piper and was also previously in a relationship with rugby player Danny Cipriani.
What’s more, Kirsty says that her brother-in-law Russell Brand – who is married to her younger sister Laura – gave her some advice following the split.
She added: “Russell said to me,”You just need to be on your own for a while.”
“And I didn’t listen to him at that point and I just went, ‘oh no, I’m not sure I do’.
“And now I obviously say to him, ‘you were right’ because I’m in a good place and you have to heal. However or wherever that journey takes you.
“You can hit rock bottom like I did, as soon as you get well again you look back and think ‘I meant to have gone through this to be where I am now.”
Following Bernard’s cardiac arrest, Kirsty and her mother Lesley are campaigning for more defibrillators to be installed in golf clubs.
Lesley said: “One of the first ones we donated to the golf club where Bernard grew up in Bathgate in Scotland has actually saved a 42-year-old man who has two young children.
“He collapsed in the car park. The lady in the bar and another member of staff ran out, got the defibrillator, had never used it, had the basic training and they saved his life.”
Things I Told My Daughter is Fabulous’ new weekly podcast hosted by Lisa Snowdon.
The series sees the TV personality with some of our most loved female celebrities, talking to mums and daughters about the relationships behind their fame.
Never miss an episode of Fabulous’ Things I Told My Daughter podcast by subscribing on Acast, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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