Former England rugby player, Joe Marley, is currently starring in the BBC’s star studded spin-off of the Traitors
Monde Mwitumwa TV and Celebrity Reporter
12:59, 22 Oct 2025
Joe Marler (Image: PA)
Celebrity Traitor star Joe Marler has opened up on his battle with depression as he recalled a moment he felt ‘ashamed’ after ‘racially abusing’ a player.
The former England rugby player, who is currently appearing in the BBC’s star-studded spin-off of The Traitors, has had a huge career on the pitch with nearly 300 appearances for his club side Harlequins.
However, before retiring from the game in 2024, he was struggling with his mental health and even got into heated altercations on the pitch that later affected his family life.
Appearing on The High Performance podcast alongside host Jake Humphrey, Joe opened up on his darkest period as he explained: “I was always described as quite bipolar.”
The former England rugby playe is currently appearing in the BBC’s star-studded spin-off of The Traitors(Image: BBC)READ MORE: Celebrity Traitors fans just realising Cat Burns is famous for huge radio hitREAD MORE: Carol Vorderman issues health update after suffering ‘chronic’ condition for months
He continued: “I had gone through quite a couple different on field incidents and there was one in particular against England v Wales, where I ended up racially abusing a Welsh player from traveller descent.”
The star admitted: “I didn’t know where to turn, what I’d done and I was like I need to get out of this. I just need to withdraw completely and I pulled out of the England tour to Australia that year.
“Fast forward nine months I’m starting to get similar feelings without these incidents happening and then other incidents whether it’s punching people or verbally abusing people on the pitch.”
Turning his attention to his family life, Joe shared a moment his wife Daisy was left crying on the floor as she pleaded for him to get professional help.
Joe Marler opened up on his mental health(Image: BBC)
The pair have been married since 2017, and they have four children: Pixie, Maggie, Felix, and Jasper.
Opening up on a heart breaking moment, Joe revealed: “Then it started creeping into home life. I then lost control. She’s (Daisy) seven months pregnant at the time and I’m turning the house over.”
He continued: “Punching the walls, punching the doors in, shouting and screaming and I just left, I left her and said ‘I’m gone’.”
Joe Marler’s wife Daisy poses with Jasper and Maggie, their two eldest children(Image: joemarler17/Instagram)
The athlete was visibly moved as he recalled: “That image of her lying on the floor crying her eyes out seven months pregnant, like that’s burnt into my memory of my most ashamed I’ve been.
“That was like a crescendo of what had been building, of how I have been feeling, trying to put it to one side and then a content thought of not wanting to be here anymore.”
He added: “I was at a pretty low point in my life, I had hit rock bottom and then went and got help and I started therapy and medication then I started to realise what I had around me, my beautiful wife and my kids.”
The Celebrity Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer tonight at 9pm
