Ray Winstone has revealed he has given up his partying lifestyle to help him live longer and spend more time with his children. The actor, who plays Bobby Glass in the second series of Netflix's The Gentlemen, spoke about his health struggles and getting older ahead of the show's release on September 3.
Health and Family
Speaking to Sara Cox on The Sara Cox Breakfast Show, Winstone admitted he had changed his ways after being "a bit of a party animal for a while, a long while". He said: "You get to a certain age, you get fed up with it."
When Cox commented that he wanted to "stick about for long enough", Winstone agreed, saying: "Watch the kids grow up." The actor has three daughters with his wife Elaine Winstone: Lois, Jaimie, and Ellie.
Training for The Gentlemen
Winstone also revealed he had to do some training ahead of the new season of The Gentlemen, particularly using a treadmill. He explained: "I had to do a little bit of training, bit on the treadmill... I can't run anymore, knees ain't what they used to be, so what I do, I walk."
He added: "Do you know what, I find it easier to walk on a treadmill than what I would do walking round the streets... it's the fact that you got a timer... I quite enjoy it, you know?"
Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis
This is not the first time Winstone has discussed his health. Speaking on the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
According to the NHS, the condition occurs "when a hormone called insulin does not work properly or there is not enough of it. This causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high".
Addressing his experience, Winstone said: "I got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. So that was one of the reasons I stopped drinking. I'd made up my mind that I was going to do that, but my other thing is sugar. I thought I ate a lot of sugar because it's in the drinks, it's in Coca-Cola, it's in everything. So I stopped it, and within five months, I didn't have Type 2 anymore."
Despite this, he admitted he still treats himself occasionally, saying: "But I'll have caramel ice cream and salted caramel ice cream in the freezer. Every now and then is alright, because I've been a good boy and I've done everything the right way. Even now, I'll get a bowl, and I'll put my caramel ice cream in, and loads of it. With a little dribble of honey or treacle over it, and nuts."
