Andy Gray says he considered ending his own life after his 2011 sacking over sexism scandal

Andy Gray admitted to being in a ‘dark place’ in a TalkTV interview with Piers Morgan on Monday, in which he opened up on his own suicidal thoughts. 

Gray was sacked from Sky over a sexism scandal, and revealed that although he was aware of the mistakes that he had made which caused him to be axed from Sky Sports, he was ‘unable to compute it’.

The former professional football went on to confess that without his family ‘I don’t know’ what would have happened as he discussed his mental health battle. 

‘I suddenly found myself in a really dark place,’ the 66-year-old told Morgan. ;I knew I had done something wrong, of course I did, but I couldn’t compute it. My head was gone. If it wasn’t for my wife I don’t know what would have happened.

‘I was close to going down the garden, I had a pond, with a bottle and a few pills one day. I was that bad. 

‘People who know me will think I’m kidding… horrible [time]. I couldn’t work it out. For two weeks I couldn’t leave the house, just surrounded by press and media. Really weird – but I’m through it now.

‘You learn who your friends are when things like that happen.

‘But we’re through it now, and I’m through it now!’ 

Morgan’s interview took place in Doha, Qatar, with the backdrop of the ongoing World Cup, where both Gray and friend and colleague Richard Keys relocated. 

Former Everton player Gray (left) and Richard Keys (right) began helming football coverage for the fledging Sky Sports channel in 1991

In January 2011, Keys, 65, resigned and Gray, 66, was sacked after both made derogatory comments about female referee Sian Massey and the fitness of women to officiate at matches – for which they later apologised.

In June 2013, the pair signed on with Al Jazeera to present football coverage from Doha, where they also continue to present their Talksport show. 

But Gray was not the only one to reveal a struggle with his emntal health in the aftermath of the scandal, more than a decade on. 

When asked by Morgan whether he was aware of Gray’s feelings, Keys admitted: ‘Yes, I was there too! Piers you have no idea – he’s right, you can’t explain, you look back now with a clear head and you go “what you thinking”!’

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org  

A Mail on Sunday investigation revealed an audio tape of Keys and Gray talking about female referee Sian Massey-Ellis (pictured) and other female assistant referees off-air on January 22, 2011