Graham Thorpe’s wife reveals England legend took his own life as she opens up on his mental health battle

Graham Thorpe’s wife has revealed the England and Surrey cricket legend took his own life.

The cricket world was left in shock last week when it was announced that Thorpe had sadly passed away at the age of 55.

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His wife, Amanda, has now revealed he tried to take his own life in May 2022 and spent time in intensive care.

She told The Times: “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.”

She added: “We are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.”

Thorpe suffered with depression and anxiety over a number of years and his wife wanted to raise awareness of how it can affect anyone.

Amanda added: “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.”

During a distinguished international career, Thorpe struck 16 Test hundreds for England, which included a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats.

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In a statement, the England and Wales Cricket Board said: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away.

“There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death.

“More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world.

“His skill was unquestioned, and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his teammates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike.

“Later, as a coach, he guided the best England Men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.

“The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time.

“We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”

If you are struggling, you can call the CALM helpline anonymously between 5pm and midnight 365 days a year on 0800 58 58 58 or talk via their webchat.

The Samaritans are also there to help on 116 113.