Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EXCLUSIVE SNOOKER’S JIMMY WHITE ON LOVE WHO TAMED HIM I took Jade to Ronnie Wood’s, Mick Jagger was there too and she didn’t have a clue who they were
She’ll tell you I’m an old fart now. My party days are well and truly behind me
JIMMY ON LOVE FOR BEAUTY 22 YEARS YOUNGER THAN HIM
JIMMY White used to be known for his little white lines almost as much as his prowess as a snooker legend.
But when the 56-year-old ex-cocaine addict first clapped eyes on glamorous Jade Slusarczyk, he just couldn’t resist a little white LIE.
“He told me he was 35 when I met him,” laughs Jade, who’s 34. “I didn’t even know who he was or that he was famous.”
That was seven years ago – and the Whirlwind reckons his fib was worth it as he credits the former Miss Blackpool with keeping him on the straight and narrow. “I had this special feeling straight away when I met Jade,” he says in their first interview together. “You have this instinct. Some people think it’s b ******* , but it’s not. When I first met her I thought she was fabulous inside and out.
“I had an instant buzz for her. I never thought anything would happen, but having been friends initially we finally got together all these years later. People are always going to talk about the age difference, but we don’t care.
“We know we’re all right. Her family like me. Everything’s good.”
EMBARRASSING
They met at the Snooker Shoot Out – a pro tournament based on high-speed 10-minute games – in Jade’s home town.
And at the time the beauty queen, who had started work as a walk-on girl, was having some difficulty in her role of accompanying players on to the stage.
“I didn’t know who any of them were. One of the girls was like, ‘Did you see who was in the room, it’s all the players’,” she says. “I thought it was just the VIPs waiting to get in. I’m not one who gets starstruck.”
Divorced dad-of-four Jimmy is quick to quash any gossip that Jade is fame hungry.
“It’s quite embarrassing really because she does walk-ons with footballers who are doing afterdinner speeches and she doesn’t know who they are.” Even rock legends leave her nonplussed.
“I’ve a funny story,” says Jimmy. “Ronnie Wood’s my good mate, I’m godfather to his twins. It was their second birthday and we went to see them and his lovely wife Sally.
“Mick Jagger’s there with one of his grandkids who’s about two or three. All of a sudden Jade’s waffling away having a chat with Mick and she had no idea who he was.
“It was so endearing. They don’t want people to think they’re anything but normal, especially when they’re in Ronnie Wood’s house. I found that quite sweet – but you’d think she’d know who Mick Jagger was, wouldn’t you?”
Jimmy, who celebrates 40 years as a professional next year, and Jade, now a darts walk-on girl for Sky Sports, hit it off straight away. But both had partners at the time and initially they were just friends until love blossomed and they starting dating 18 months ago.
“We used to share hotels to keep the expenses down,” jokes Jimmy. “She tried to woo me. I could feel her eyes kept piercing into me. She was like one of those poodles.”
Jade snorts: “Poodles? Pull the other one. He wasn’t giving up so I had to give in. But all jokes aside, we were friends and then we fell in love.
“We have so much fun together, Jimmy’s really young at heart. We’re best friends as well as partners and
it’s about how you get on. The main thing is being happy and the people around you.” Jimmy chimes in: “Even though we’ve got busy schedules, she lives in Blackpool and I live in Epsom, we spend as much time as we can together and we have a good time and it’s fun.
“I’ve been married, she’s been in relationships. Everyone wants to be with someone.” So how come Jimmy’s wild lifestyle didn’t put her off? “He’s not like that any more,” she says. “We like a quiet night in front of the TV or going out for a nice meal. It’s pretty civilised.
“I’ve never touched a drug or cigarette and I’m not a big drinker. If I was then maybe it’d be a different
story.” Instead, she’s proud she managed to get Jimmy to quit smoking.
And now even he insists his wild days are over.
“I haven’t been a raving lunatic, truthfully, for 25 years. The thought of the weekends I used to have now makes me shake,” he says.
“We go out and have a drink occasionally. We’re quite as happy to go for a nice meal and go to the theatre or something. We’d rather waste the hours that way instead of getting s***faced.
“She’ll tell you I’m like an old fart now. I have been tamed. My party days are well and truly behind me. If I stopped one person doing a line of cocaine I’d be delighted because it is the devil’s drug. My cocaine use was a f ****** nightmare because I was always a massive drinker, and you could take cocaine and it would sober you up a bit. For me it was a wonder drug because I could go out longer. The thought of it now makes me feel sick.”
The couple have made no secret of their romance during the past 18 months, enjoying holidays in the Cayman Islands, where Jimmy’s daughter Breeze lives, Thailand, Bahrain and Gibraltar.
And Jade says her love for Jimmy has grown after he helped her overcome the loss of her mum Glenys and her grandma in recent years. “My main job was caring for my mum. I’d done that since I was six,” she reveals. “We were in a car accident that left her disabled. It’s been really hard but Jimmy’s been so supportive.
“I got into the walk-on work because it fitted around caring for my mum. When I lost her I threw myself into work. Everyone’s friendly, you get to travel all the time, meet new people and people you work with a lot become your friends.”
CLASSY
When darts walk-on girls were banned a year ago after a sexism storm, Jade started concentrating on developing a TV presenting career. “Feminists say ‘you can’t be walk-on girls, you’re wearing next to nothing and you’re getting abused by the players and fans’,” she says. “But actually we’re shown so much respect. I wear a classy
RONNIE WHO?
With pal Jimmy mini dress which I choose. It’s like one big family.” Jimmy never worried about introducing Jade to his grown-up family. “I knew my daughters would be fine,” he says. “But I was nervous about meeting her dad. Luckily, he likes me.” Jade beams: “Jimmy’s family are all amazing. We all get on. My age is just a number. It’s how you get on with people.”
And their plans? “If Jade wanted children then who am I to say ‘I don’t want them as I’ve had my children’?” says Jimmy. “When that time comes we’ll discuss it.”
Jade quips: “I love kids, but he needs to get down on one knee first.” And Jimmy? “To me that would be a lovely day with friends and family, talking of how much we love each other. That wouldn’t be a
problem.”