Widow Frankie

‘IF boxing is responsible for Muhammad Ali’s physical problems, one can only suppose that panto is responsible for Frank Bruno’s psychological state.

Frankie Dettori rides to victory in the 2.35 at Kempton

The one-time world heavyweight champion and many-time Widow Twankey was last night carted off to a mental hospital after a four-hour siege at his Essex home.

Police confirmed that he had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act after months of depression and increasingly erratic behaviour.

‘He is in a terrible state,’ a friend tells the Mirror (which has a front-page picture of the moment Big Frank was led away). ‘He’s doing crazy things. Every day is difficult.’

The Sun says Bruno’s last public appearance was on Friday when he appeared with puppet Sooty and Sophie Lawrence to plug the panto Aladdin.

Fears had been raised for his sanity when he was heard mumbling to himself ‘He’s behind you’ and ‘Know what I mean, ‘Arry’.

But the Sun says things came to a head at the weekend when Bruno started to believe he was champion jockey Frankie Dettori.

As part of his treatment, it is believed that Bruno will be forced to watch endless reruns of A Question Of Sport in what doctors hope will be an effective aversion therapy.

In the meantime, friends said that the decision to section the 41-year-old heavyweight was for the best.

‘I have been told that he has had a breakdown and is suffering from manic depression but he won’t accept it,’ boxing promoter Frank Warren tells the Mail.

In further evidence of Bruno’s fragile mental state, the Express says the boxer recently accused a tailor fitting him for a pantomime costume was putting him in a straightjacket.

Ironically, Bruno was taken away from his Essex house last night dressed as the front half of the cow in Jack & The Beanstalk.’

Posted: 23rd, September 2003 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink