Snooker star Willie Thorne, 66, dies in hospital in Spain with his family at his bedside after suffering 'septic shock' following respiratory failure as he was treated for leukaemia
- Thorne, 66, was taken to hospital last week with dangerously low blood pressure
- The former snooker star had announced in March that he was battling leukaemia
- Thorne's carer Julie O'Neill said he died at 1.55am after going into 'septic shock'
Former snooker star Willie Thorne has died in hospital in Spain after suffering 'septic shock'.
The 66-year-old was surrounded by his family when he died at 1.55am following respiratory failure, his carer Julie O'Neill revealed.
Thorne, who announced he was battling leukaemia in March, was taken to hospital last week with dangerously low blood pressure.
Ms O'Neill said on a GoFundMe page he was not responding to treatment so doctors decided to 'turn off the machines'.
The 66-year-old (pictured in 1994), who announced he was battling leukaemia in March, was taken to hospital last week with a dangerously low blood pressure
Thorne's carer Julie O'Neill wrote on the GoFundMe that Thorne (pictured) died at 1.55am after going into sepsis shock
He was married to ex-Miss Great Britain winner Jill Saxby (left, together) and lived in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire. He starred as part of snooker's 'Matchroom Mob' and went on to become a BBC commentator and appear on the 2007 version of Strictly Come Dancing (right)
She wrote: 'I was with him all the way to his end and reading out messages to him from people.
'He passed away very peacefully and without pain listening to his children saying they love him that gives me some comfort in this difficult time.
'Over here in Spain everything happens very quickly so today myself and his family will he making plans and will inform you accordingly.'
She added she was grateful for everyone involved in the former snooker player's care and the £17,000 raised would go towards his funeral.
Thorne reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in 1982.
He starred as part of snooker's 'Matchroom Mob' and went on to become a BBC commentator and appear on the 2007 version of Strictly Come Dancing.
He partnered with Kiwi professional Erin Boag but the pair finished in 12th place out of 14.
He was married to ex-Miss Great Britain winner Jill Saxby and lived in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire.
But Ms Saxby left him after 24 years when she could no longer live with the 'lies' caused by his gambling addiction, which saw him borrow up to £1million.
A GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Thorne's (pictured in 2010) treatment had surpassed £17,000 by Tuesday lunchtime
Ms O'Neill said on the website Thorne (pictured in 1988) was not responding to any treatment so the hospital decided to 'turn off the machines'
Ms Saxby had been trying to make their relationship work, but his addiction had made it impossible.
Days after the couple split, Thorne's home was repossessed after reports the mortgage had not been paid.
The house, which had been shared by the couple, had fallen into disrepair while the pair were living in Spain.
In 2015, the sport star revealed how his wife stopped him from killing himself over £1million gambling debts.
He had taken a knife to a hotel and written letters to family members - only to be found by Jill just in time.
The snooker player, who spiralled into gambling debt after retiring from the sport in 2002, previously told of how money lenders threatened to chop off his wife's fingers and take her jewellery to pay off loans.
'I couldn't see a way out,' he said in 2015, 'I'd caused so much grief to so many people. It's so cowardly.
'I've three children, two stepchildren and grandchildren and life in a nice house with a loving wife... yet I couldn't see a way through it.'
Thorne has previously said how he started gambling during his snooker career, but upon retiring in 2002, found it harder to fund his habit.
He told that he had struggled to cope after giving up the sport, where he had once reached number seven in the world rankings.
He began to accept money from lenders who knew he could not resist borrowing money in the hope of being rewarded with a big win.
In his 2011 autobiography, Taking A Punt On My Life, Thorne - who was nicknamed Mr Maximum - spoke of his love of horse racing, and how the habit had left him with mounting debts.
Thorne (pictured when he first got into the game) reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in 1982
Thorne (pictured with Jack Fincham on ITV last year) later battled bankruptcy after admitting he had borrowed up to £1million in order to feed his gambling addiction
He revealed in the book he had tried to take his own life in March 2002, a few days after his 48th birthday, by taking sleeping pills but was discovered by his step-son, then aged 11, and treated in hospital.
'It was a terrible thing to do,' he said of the 2002 attempt in his autobiography. I was taking the easy way out and leaving her [Ms Saxby] to to mop up the mess I had created.'
He suffered a mild stroke in 2010, in the middle of a thank you speech at a charity event, which he believed may have been brought on partly by stress from his gambling addiction.
Thorne was able to get his betting under control but when his mother Nancy died in 2013, he fell back into it.
He was being encouraged by professional gamblers and went from staking around £1,000 to betting up to £20,000 on a single race.
In Leicester Thorne ran a club where fellow pro snooker player Mark Selby used to play as a junior.
He was also good friends with former England footballer Gary Lineker, who said he was 'deeply, deeply saddened' to hear of his death.
Lineker tweeted: 'Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life's great characters.
'A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who's potted his final black much too soon. RIP Willie.'
Fellow BBC presenter Gabby Logan posted: 'So sad to hear about the death of Willie Thorne. I loved watching his career, we made friends on Strictly Come Dancing where he was the loveliest 'team mate'.'
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