The Street star dishes on how he tried to pull himself out of gambling addiction and debts because 'no one will stop you from destroying yourself when you're a musician.'
- Oct 3, 2023
AceShowbiz - Mike Skinner spent "tens of thousands" of pounds betting on football matches. The Street star has admitted he suffered dark times over the years as he spiralled into depression and compulsive gambling - revealing he threw money away on bets during the early 2000s even though he has very little interest in football.
"I'm not really into football, but I was betting on it ... [I lost] tens of thousands, yeah," he revealed to the Guardian newspaper.
Skinner went on to insist he managed to pull himself out of it using self-regulation and routine, but claims discipline can be very difficult for those working in the music industry. He explained, "When you're a musician, you'd better get your head around discipline. Because no one, no one, will stop you destroying yourself when you're a musician."
The "Fit but You Know It" star went on to cite the 2015 Amy Winehouse documentary "Amy" as a cautionary tale of how stardom can lead to tragedy. He added, "You watch the Amy Winehouse film … you cannot stop a musician destroying themselves."
"People talk about a controlling industry, and maybe if you're in a boyband that's true, but I don't know any musicians that are controlled. It's impossible to control them, because it's them that has to get up on stage."
Skinner previously opened up about his issues with gambling in an interview with Time Out magazine in 2004, confessing he had to remortgage his house to help manage his money. He said, "It's scary. I've lost a lot. I eventually had a massive fight with my manager. Basically I was getting too drunk and betting lots of money."
"I've calmed down now. It was a case of remortgage the house and stop drinking. The US tour was nearly pulled halfway through because I lost the tour cash float in the casino. This year I've had to face that I've got a problem with everything outside music ... With gambling, you have to feel you could lose a lot before you feel that adrenalin. If you're not staking anything you care about, you might as well not bother."
