Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Gazza: I’ve been offered Strictly MARADONA
England legend may compete in Italian version of TV dance show
PAUL Gascoigne is cha-cha-chewing over an offer to go on the Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Gazza, 52, would be following other sporting stars including fellow footballer Maradona and boxer Mike Tyson, whose life Paul says was turned around by dancing on the show in 2010.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Gazza said Tyson “made a fortune” after his dancefloor stint and added: “He re-invented himself. So we shall see.”
The Italian version of Strictly, Ballando con le Stelle (Dancing with the Stars) has been trying for years to book the former Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers star.
Gazza, who played for Rome team Lazio from
1992 to 1995, said:
“They still love me because of my time playing there so I may give it a go.”
His agent Katie
Davies said: “It is a very long show in
Italy. It runs for about four hours.
So we will have to look at how we would do it. We don’t know if it would be for a full stint, or a shorter format.”
Gazza has other irons in the fire too, after we revealed on Saturday that pellets sewn into his stomach have been helping him beat alcoholism.
He said: “I am working on a movie documentary which is coming out, looking back at Italia ’90.”
A book and more audience sessions with fans are also in the pipeline for Paul, who lives near Bournemouth in Dorset on the south coast.
He said on Saturday of his new-found sobriety: “I’m in a better place – it’s the happiest I’ve been for many years.
“I’m content now, happy in myself. I’ve just had my first holiday in 15 years in Tenerife and I’m enjoying myself for the first time in a very long time.”