Brendan Fevola spills beans on losing entire fortune living as a bogan

Brendan Fevola has spilled the beans on how he ended up on a “stupid TV show” revealing new details of the moment he hit rock bottom.

Brendan Fevola and wife Alex. Photo by Michael Klein.

Brendan Fevola has revealed more details on how he blew millions of dollars living as a “bogan”.

The Carlton cult hero on Wednesday opened up on the gambling issues that ruined his life — having famously admitted to selling his prized Coleman Medal (awarded to the AFL’s leading goalkicker) to fund his addiction.

The star footballer has spoken openly about the downwards spiral he went through towards the end of his football career, including a stint in rehab and declaring bankruptcy in 2013.

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Fevola said on Fox 101.9’s Fifi, Fev & Nick show his millions of dollars “ruined” his life.

“I did it. I earned millions. Millions. And I lost it all because I was a bogan,” he said.

“I pretty much wasted it all. We had seven houses throughout my footy career. Lost it all because I punted.

“Bang. Stupid. Because I had money from the age of 17. Big money. Everyone else was working hard for their money. I didn’t have to work hard. I just played footy. I just thought money would come easy. Winning the lotto – easy money. Let’s spend it.”

He said it is the reason he ended up on “stupid” reality TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’.

Brendan Fevola pictured with his children and wife Alex after winning the show in 2016.

Fevola was the break-out star and won the 2016 edition of the Australian series and said at the time he hoped the show would repair his public image as an ‘idiot’.

“You get into money you lose it all and then you end up on a stupid show like “celebrity get me out of here”. That’s what happens,” he said on Wednesday.

His wife Alex last year spoke about the couple’s marriage break down — and the moment she realised her husband had lost their life savings.

The 46-year-old told the Mamamia No Filter podcast she was given no warning before learning her husband’s scheduled payday never arrived.

“The pay hadn’t gone into the account,” she said.

“I thought, ‘That’s so strange. What’s going on?’ And I couldn’t get onto anybody, no one was answering my calls.

“Eventually, someone answered my call and told me that, “yeah, there was no pay” and it was that entire year’s worth of pay.”

The make-up artist and cosmetics influencer ended their relationship in 2010 and returned to Melbourne while her husband was still playing for the Brisbane Lions.

It came after the infamous nude photo and cheating scandal involving bikini model Lara Worthington, former Lara Bingle.

Alex opened up on the affair in her new book Silver Linings where she reveals the devastating moment she learned about it.

Brendan Fevola launches his beer, Everyday Australia, alongside fiance Alex. Pic: Britt Lucas

She also confirmed Fevola’s previous claims that the real reason she left him at the time was because of his gambling addiction.

He lasted just one season at Brisbane before the Lions sacked him.

“I was actually just in disbelief. I could not believe that this would all happen and no one would notify me,” she said on the new podcast.

“The biggest shock of it all was that this had gone on behind the scenes, and nobody thought it was important to tell me that that’s what was happening.

“I had to go into recovery mode. We had to get out of where we were living. We’d just bought a house. We had to sell everything.”

She had just given birth to their third daughter at the time.

The couple are now a happy family with daughters Leni, Lulu, Tobi and Mia.

The Fevola’s marriage is now stronger than ever.

They were married in 2005, before divorcing in 2014. They got back together shortly after the separation.

In 2013 Fevola’s gambling problem was out of control — at one point losing $363,000 in one day.

Brendan Fevola and his daughter Leni attend the opening night of the reimagined production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Photo by Sam Tabone/Getty Images for HPATCC Australia.

Gambling away his family’s life savings, the former Brisbane Lions and Carlton great was forced to declare bankruptcy and was in a deep hole when Alex moved out.

The footballer has since owned up to his personal issues and admits that his addiction is the lowest point of his life.

He has previously said the toughest thing was seeing how it impacted the rest of his family.

“I did (lose a lot of our savings) and hence why Alex left the first time when we were in Brisbane,” he told his Nova breakfast show.

“She went back because of the gambling. Now she looks after a lot of the accounts which is good.

“I said to myself then I didn’t lose that ($300,000) because I’d already won it, so it’s so weird. But you did, you lost it.

“The worst thing is it didn’t actually affect me too much but if affects your family and that’s the bottom line, Alex and the kids.

“It’s an addictive thing, it’s a really bad addiction to have and it obviously cripples a lot of people’s lives.”

The former Coleman medallist and the popular make-up artist now make up one of Melbourne’s power couples.

Originally published as Brendan Fevola spills beans on losing entire fortune living as a bogan