Wally Lewis reveals he nearly jumped in horrifying suicide scare

Rugby league icon Wally Lewis has released horrifying details of his secret diagnosis, live TV episode and suicide watch in a tell-all book.

Wally Lewis with Paul Vautin at Suncorp Stadium.

Rugby league icon Wally Lewis famously had an epileptic seizure live on air while reading the sport for Channel 9 news in Brisbane in 2009.

The episode finally forced the 61-year-old to have the brain surgery he had done everything possible to avoid.

The operation to remove a piece of his brain 5cm by 3cm has always been credited as the moment his life was saved.

In many, many ways, the operation saved his life. But his ongoing depression battle followed him beyond his surgery.

It took a committed routine of antidepressants to finally reveal the true Lewis.

The true Lewis was a friendly, caring, gentleman — a man many of his teammates never knew existed.

Wally Lewis at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

It’s because Lewis’ secret epilepsy diagnosis was hidden from almost everyone until his on-air episode on Channel 9.

He kept the secret for 21 years from everyone outside his family and a couple of Queensland teammates.

He has previously talked about how the secret weighed him down. How it left him depressed.

He revealed 11 years ago the condition was triggered by repeated concussion cases, beginning from the age of 19.

Hiding his secret for so long consumed Lewis.

My Life: Wally Lewis book.

He has revealed further details of his traumatic journey in his new autobiography My Life: Wally Lewis.

Lewis’ mental health battles didn’t end with the surgery.

“I had suicidal thoughts and found myself crying uncontrollably, for no reason,” he says in the book, as first reported by The Courier-Mail.

“I needed someone with me at all times.”

In the book he reveals his darkest moment.

He admits to walking out onto the private pontoon out the back of his Brisbane home and wanting to jump in.

“Another time I walked down to the pontoon on the canal at the back of the house and considered jumping in,” he says.

“The thought was actually there – that day. If I was going to suicide that’s when I would have done it. (Jackie) never left me alone after that.”

Between the surgery, his medication and his famous fighting spirit, Lewis, was a new man within months.

He was back reading the news on Nine 10 months later.

It has still been no picnic.

He revealed in 2017 the surgery has left him with restricted language and cognitive skills, acute memory loss and painful headaches.

The ongoing struggle hasn’t stopped the true Lewis from showing his true colours.

He smiles warmly now like he never did during his 21 years of secrecy.

His friends now smile back knowing they’ve finally got their mate back. The King was back.

My Life: Wally Lewis, $39.99 from QBD and Dymocks. Limited hardback signed copies, $59.99 at www.stevehaddan.com.au