Former snooker player Willie Thorne has revealed that he is undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 61-year-old, who reached a peak ranking of seventh in the world during the 1980s, has worked as a commentator since retiring from playing.
He told The Mirror: "My psychiatrist said I needed a set of blood tests as a matter of routine and they came back showing a problem.
"A scraping of the front of my prostate showed up the cancer cells and now doctors are having to carry out a scraping of the back of the prostate to see if there has been any spread. But because they caught it quite early, we're hopeful.
"I feel numb with everything that has gone on. But I am determined to summon the strength and fight. I'm scared because I've spent two years living a lie with the gambling, depression and debts, I do wonder if this has been brought on by the stress."
Thorne has a long-standing gambling addiction, admitting that he has previously placed a £38,000 bet on a snooker match, as well as a £20,000 stake on a horse race.
Sian Cowper
