Dancing On Ice star Regan Gascoigne has cruised onto our screens as part of the current lineup for the hit ITV show.
The 25-year-old ballet dancer impressed the audience with his dancing skills as he performed for the first time last Sunday (January 23).
Now Regan is hoping that his stint performing on the rink will open the door for more reality TV opportunities for him and his famous dad Paul Gascoigne.
Gazza, 54, has been showing support for his son as he competes on Dancing On Ice – but their father-son relationship hasn’t always been so strong.
In fact the pair have struggled to remain in contact over the years as they clashed over several aspects of their lives – including Paul’s addiction struggles.
Addiction woes
As a child, Regan struggled to come to terms with his father’s health problems, too young to understand the complexities of mental health and addiction issues.
Paul had left his wife Sheryl and their children Bianca, Mason and Regan, in 1998 after just two years of marriage.
A documentary when he was just 12 years old saw Regan make some scathing comments about his estranged father.
He said: “If I could wish, I’d wish that he would go away from us. He’s probably going to die soon.
“Because he’s the top player doesn’t mean he’s a good dad or good person to be with, does it, really?”
Coming out
Being the child of a former England player and Premier League icon came with its pressures for Regan – including surrounding his sexuality.
The youngest of the Gascoigne children has openly admitted he is bisexual – a subject which many years ago would have been taboo in the sporting world his father found fame in.
However, Paul has openly supported his son and made it known that he is fully behind him in his life choices.
He previously said: “I remember he called to tell me and I was like, ‘So what? I’m watching a movie’.
“I went, ‘It’s OK, son. I knew when you were four’. It was the Minnie Mouse dress he loved. I remember I took him shopping as a kid and he wanted a Barbie, not an Action Man, too.”
Paul added: “It didn’t bother us one bit. It’s just who he is and that’s the end of it, it’s not a problem. Why should it be? Even if he was having an affair with a dolphin, it still wouldn’t bother us.”
OCD Bond
Both Paul and Regan have been diagnosed with suffering from OCD, helping them find common ground to smooth over their rocky past.
Talking to The Sun Paul described how he likes to wind Regan up over their shared mental health condition.
He said: “I’ve got OCD and he’s got it too. When I used to go and see him, if he wound us up I’d open all the cupboard doors to annoy him, because I knew he’d have to go round shutting them.
“With OCD, if we do something once we have to do it again. I remember England manager Terry Venables going mad because when I’d go on to the pitch I’d be ready, and once we had kicked off I had to tie my laces again, just the right foot.
Paul also admitted another quirk the pair share – a love of ditching their underwear.
He continued: “The game could have been going on but I’m just tying my shoelace. He’d be like, ‘What are you doing that for?’. I had to. And I didn’t wear pants on the pitch either.
“I was always commando. Let it just do what it wants to down there, right?”
Regan then confirmed his dads take on their relationship as he admitted he doesn’t like wearing any underwear either.
He said: “When Dad comes to mine he ruins my house. So when I go to his, I move everything too. We know it annoys each other. At work, as soon as I enter the theatre, I’ve got to do everything in an order, including touching door handles and stuff.
“It’s a nightmare. And, yes, Gascoignes don’t wear pants!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
