Ronnie O’Sullivan opens up about drugs addiction and how parents going to prison cause him to ‘lose his way’

Ronnie O’Sullivan described his issues with drugs when he was younger as “horrendous” when opening up about his addiction on Eurosport’s The Breakdown podcast. O’Sullivan went through a period, after he had won the UK Championship in 1993 to become the youngest ever ranking event winner at 18 years old, where both of his parents were in jail. Ad His father went to prison in 1992, then his mother in 1996, which led to a difficult spell for O’Sullivan during his 20s, which he explained to Eurosport's Greg Rutherford and Orla Chennaoui.

SnookerExclusive: 'Not up for the fight' — O'Sullivan on having easy time beating 'nice guys'YESTERDAY AT 07:27 The Breakdown returned this week for the second part of its first season. Previous episodes have included conversations with Sir Chris Hoy, racing driver Jamie Chadwick and sprint legend Mark Cavendish. You can listen here.

“I didn’t know to go through that,” O'Sullivan said on the Eurosport podcast. “It was horrendous. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, it was bad.

“I never smoked a cigarette until I was 19. I was a really good boy and brought up to be quite disciplined, professional and my dad was quite disciplined so it was good for me. “When my dad went to jail when I was 15 that was a big blow for me, then my mum went to jail when I was 19.

Once she went to jail, I just lost my way. Exclusive: O’Sullivan 'hated' seventh world title that dragged him to 'dark places' Exclusive: 'Not up for the fight' — O'Sullivan on having easy time beating 'nice guys' Exclusive: 'Like playing Djokovic at tennis' — O'Sullivan compares himself to star “I had six years where I let myself go a little bit so I wish I could turn the clock back and not do that so it was what it was. “I lost quite a few