Kirsty Gallacher on ‘breakdown’ that led to her collapsing on live TV following split from famous husband
Personal problems can be extra tough when the country’s watching
19 Apr 2025, 09:10
Tags: Entertainment
British TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, 49, married rugby player Paul Sampson in 2010 and they have two sons together.
But their marriage ended after just five years, and in its aftermath, Kirsty – on James Martin’s Saturday Morning this weekend (April 19) – suffered immensely…
Kirsty Gallacher collapsed during an ad break after split
Kirsty married Paul Sampson, a West Yorkshire-born rugby player who could once run 100 metres in 10.45 seconds, in 2010. But they had already been together for a decade by then.
They have two sons together, Oscar, 18, and Jude, 14. Kirsty has previously said “no one was to blame” for the divorce, but that doesn;’t mean no one suffered.
In its aftermath, Kirsty admitted she “made some wrong decisions”. And she discussed the fallout on Gabby Logan’s The Mid Point podcast.
“My decision making, I don’t need to say too much, was not brilliant and I couldn’t cope with anything and I actually collapsed on Sky Sports. I didn’t know what was going on and I just collapsed.
“I had a virus and I was also having, I think, a breakdown. I’ve never really been told that but I know I was because I know what was going on in my head, which was I wanted to run away, really. I was just in pain. I was a wreck,” she continued.
Kirsty previously revealed that she believed she may have been suffering from PTSD. “I was skinny as rake. I was running on empty, running from dance rehearsals with the lovely Brendan Cole to Sky Sports to rehearsals at night.”
Driving ban and ‘not thinking straight’
Soon after she and Paul Sampson separated, Kirsty signed up to compete on Strictly Come Dancing – a decision she now regrets.
“It was more than exhausting, emotionally, physically. There was nothing negative about the show apart from me being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was like a cauldron of emotion.”
That, plus her professional commitments on Sky Sports and arguably her most important commitment – to her children – left her feeling burnt out.
“The divorce was a very difficult period. I found it devastating,” she told The Sun. She explained that she was was “grieving and mourning”.
“I think I had post-traumatic stress disorder. I was skinny, not eating and wanting to black it all out. It was painful,” she said.
Driving ban
In 2017, the Sky Sports TV presenter pleaded guilty to driving three times the drink-drive limit. She received a sentence of 100 hours of community service and an £85 fine. That, plus a two year driving ban.
Her probation officer told the court at the time that she had “no intention to drive while over the limit,” according to Yahoo! Entertainment. “She did not realise she was over the next day.”
“She works long hours and drives a lot so she does not usually drink. There are divorce proceedings going on at the moment which are stressful. She is very remorseful and apologises,” they continued.
Kirsty herself told The Mail on Sunday’s You magazine that the incident was “very bad and very un-Kirsty because I’ve always been a good girl”.
“We all make mistakes,” she said. “Life’s not perfect. And in the limelight you’re apparently not able to put a foot wrong.”
Read more: Kirsty Gallacher on being ‘swept off her feet’ amid Paddy McGuinness romance rumours
Kirsty is on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV1 at 9.30am on April 19.
