Billy Brownless left homeless after marriage breakdown
Billy Brownless says his marriage breakdown left him homeless and without the money to buy a new house. The revelation comes as Dale Thomas admitted shedding tears before training during his own painful break up.
Confidential
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Billy Brownless says he was left homeless after his marriage breakdown.
The former Geelong star split from wife Nicky four years ago. Nicky is still in a relationship with his former Footy Show mate, Garry Lyon.
“Well, I lost the house, yeah, so I had to get out of the house,” Brownless reveals on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, airing on Channel 10 tonight.
His comments are part of a podcast recorded by fellow IAC contestant, comedian and broadcaster Tanya Hennessy.
Former footy star Dale Thomas, who is also competing on the reality show, is featured, too.
Brownless said he “didn’t have a home” after the split.
“And I couldn’t buy one, I didn’t have the money to buy one. So you’re actually like a homeless person. If you wanted to have the kids, you’d get them to a motel.”
He added: “(It was) a shocking two or three years. No good.”
Asked about low points in his life, Thomas said it was a relationship split.
“There were times when I’d rock up to training, and sit in the car, and be in tears … then be the court jester to try and hide (his emotions),” Thomas said.
“I was liked for that, but I knew I was being a fraud.”
Brownless said he went through a gamut of emotions following his split.
“Why me, poor Billy, all that stuff,” Brownless said.
“I’d walk into a restaurant, and I’d swear everyone was looking at me. They weren’t. (But it was) paranoia — ‘That’s him, his missus left him.’ That was tough.”
Hennessey said she usually doesn’t like interviewing footballers because they give sanitised answers.
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Brownless said it was a protection mechanism.
“If you’re fun and show a bit of personality, and the next week, you don’t get a kick, the clubs looks at everything,” he said.
“When you lose, or don’t play well, the club will look at everything.”
Thomas said post-AFL life means not having to hide your beer. He said footballers are told to cover up alcohol in pictures posted during “holidays, off time whatever.”
“That’s why everyone’s got photos like this,” Thomas said, with one hand behind his back.
I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here screens at 7.30pm tonight on Ten