Wayne Lineker has talked about leaving Ibiza behind and getting rehab, but now he has a life-threatening illness.
For decades, Wayne Lineker was the dubbed the King of Ibiza, the face of lavish pool parties and ‘Instagrammable’ summers at his famous O Beach club. But this year, the party boss, 63, has faced a difficult reality check, swapping the orange cups and bikini-clad crowds for rehab and hospital wards.
In a candid admission shared with fans, Lineker revealed a difficult year that saw him take a step back from his lifelong empire in a bid to stay sober, only to be struck down by a life-threatening illness that left him unable to walk. In October, Lineker stunned followers by announcing he was leaving the Spanish island for good, admitting the hedonistic lifestyle he had built was now “impossible” for him to maintain.
The club mogul revealed he quietly went to rehab earlier this year and is now sober. However, attempting to run O Beach while maintaining his recovery proved detrimental to his mental health. “Living my former Ibiza lifestyle is now impossible for me,” he confessed in an emotional post.
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“Being sober makes walking into the ocean very different for me.” I discovered that hiding in the restaurant or leaving early, which is completely uncharacteristic of me.
Lineker acknowledged that the atmosphere, which included “the music, the sunshine, the shows, the dancers, the vibe, the venue, the orange cups in the air surrounded by what seems like an eternity of bikinis,” had become his biggest “trigger” and that he had to leave the company.
Lineker’s life was suddenly in danger due to a sudden, severe health scare just weeks after making the decision. He revealed that he had a “very bad infection” while traveling from Mauritius to Dubai for an anniversary party.
When he returned home to the UK, he was initially thought to have COVID-19, which significantly worsened his condition. He wrote, “I woke up at 3am and was unable to walk at that time.” He was taken to the hospital by ambulance after being concerned that he was going to have a heart attack. He described it as “extremely dangerous” for a man his age and received a diagnosis from a doctor who was able to identify chronic pneumonia. Prior to being moved to a respiratory ward, he spent ten days in intensive care.
Lineker is now “out of the danger zone,” but his long recovery process has been complicated by his severe illness. He described the devastating extent of the pneumonia’s damage, saying that I still need about two months of rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
The stark reality of being confined to a hospital bed is a world away from the spotlight of his former life, but Lineker has found strength in his family – including his brother, football legend Gary Lineker, with whom he recently rekindled their relationship after nearly 20 years of estrangement.
Lineker continued, “Going to rehab was the best decision of my life!… If there is anyone else reading this who is experiencing the same fate, it’s okay to face your demons. Get assistance, please.
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