Trina Gulliver had to withdraw from the BDO World Championship in early 2020 due to health reasons and wasn't heard from as a result for some time but 'The Golden Girl' has now opened up on her battle with alcohol addiction.
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In an interview with Phill Barrs for Winmau TV, Gulliver discussed how she did punditry at the 2019 PDC World Championship for Sky Sports but collapsed and was seriously ill following that.
"Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom to make you stand up and realise really. That's what happened to me, I had to pull out of the World Championship beforehand. I was feeling awful for a long time, I just didn't realise how awful I was feeling. I kind of got used to it, I got used to being in pain," said Gulliver to Winmau TV.
"I just physically wasn't strong enough. I was throwing at the board and I couldn't even reach it. I couldn't reach the treble 20, I had no power in me whatsoever. I went down to seven stone, I was taken into hospital and I was lucky to survive."
Discussing time in hospital
Gulliver discussed that time in hospital and how over Christmas and New Year, she was bed bound as a result.
"First of all they said you're lucky to be here now. I haven't had a drink since December 3, 2019 not that I'm counting. I spent a month in hospital over Christmas and New Year. I couldn't walk, I couldn't get out of bed."
"At it's worst for me, probably between three to four bottles of wine a day everyday. It really took hold of me."
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The ten time Ladies World Champion spoke also about how far back it has gone and said that a big turning point was separating from her husband back in 2005 and dealing with her sexuality.
"It was when I separated from my husband. I was drinking then but nowhere near just the general drink. I'd say when I split with my husband and dealt with my sexuality that was major.
"I tried to shut myself off from everybody, I was absolutely petrified. I was thinking I'm going to lose my sponsors, my friends, is my family going to understand. That was added pressure so you try and mask it."
Road to recovery and comeback
For Gulliver though, she admitted she has good and bad days but looks back to her time in hospital as a place she doesn't want to return to.
"It was very much at the beginning, an hour at a time. When I was in hospital, I couldn't even feed myself very well. My coordination was all over the place. It's been really hard, obviously things have got better as it's gone on. There's difficult days still where you just think it would be nice to have a drink but you look at the other side of things and remember where it put me."
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Now a comeback to darts is at the forefront of the legendary darter's mind and she was recently announced for the World Seniors with the ambition still there.
"I want to come back to darts, I want to play again but there's no way I will be doing it on the same scale as I was before. There's a lot to be said to not having to pack a case on a Friday to fly off somewhere and come back on a Monday. I'm looking forward to getting that sort of thing back in my life."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
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