The family of Graham Thorpe have confirmed that the former England cricketer took his own life after a battle with depression and anxiety.
Thorpe’s death at the age of 55 was announced last week, prompting an outpouring of grief and floods of tributes from around the world of cricket and beyond to one of England’s finest-ever batters.
Thorpe featured in 100 total Tests for England between 1993 and 2005, scoring 6,744 runs at an average of 44.66, including 16 centuries.
He retired from playing in 2005, having represented Surrey at county level for his entire career, and later coached and worked in the media.
Thorpe’s wife Amanda has now revealed in an emotional and candid interview with The Times that Thorpe attempted suicide two years ago before taking his own life earlier this month.
“Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He was so unwell in recent times and he really did believe that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life,” Amanda Thorpe said.
“For the past couple of years, Graham had been suffering from major depression and anxiety. This led him to make a serious attempt on his life in May 2022, which resulted in a prolonged stay in an intensive care unit.
“Despite glimpses of hope and of the old Graham, he continued to suffer from depression and anxiety, which at times got very severe. We supported him as a family and he tried many, many treatments but unfortunately none of them really seemed to work.
“Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone.”
Thorpe’s daughter Kitty explained the reason behind the family being ready to share news of his mental health struggles.
Kitty Thorpe added: “We are not ashamed of talking about it. There is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma.
“We were trying to help him get better before and trying to protect him, which is why we said nothing. This is the time now to share the news, however horrible it is. We’ve wanted to be able to talk and share and we’d now like to raise awareness, too.”
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
For mental health support, call the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
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