Paddy Doherty (TV personality)

Doherty was born to Irish Traveller parents and moved around Manchester as a child and also to various sites in and around Birmingham. He did not attend school. His grandparents posed as his parents in his younger years but when he became a teenager he was sent to live with his "sister" and her family; his "sister" was actually his mother but as she was unmarried it was kept quiet to avoid shame on the family.[3]

Doherty’s cousin Johnny Joyce was jailed for biting off part of Doherty’s ear during a fight.[13] Doherty’s wife Roseann suffered with her mental health due to the court case.[14] The sons to Doherty were involved in a fight outside the courts with the Ward and Joyce clan, it saw the Doherty’s sons, the rival Ward’s and Joyce’s arrested.[15] Doherty was spared prison although he admitted to head butting his own brother Douglas McDonagh twice hitting him to the floor.[16]

Doherty’s son David Michael Doherty was jailed after killing his friend in a car crash. David fled the scene in which also injured four others.[17]

Doherty’s great nephew David Thomas McDonagh aged 18 months, was reportedly pretending to clean a van when it rolled forward and crushed him to death.[18] It was reported that during the funeral of the child, Doherty had his teeth knocked out by Johnny Joyce.[19]

Doherty has said he had a mental breakdown at the height of his fame.[20] A subsequent diagnosis of having cancer led to pain so great he said he considered committing suicide; treatment for the cancer was successful.[21]

Doherty encourages his grandchildren to remain in education.[22] He has also discussed the impact the loss of one of his children had on his mental health, which resulted in a period of substance abuse.[23]

Doherty was hospitalised after becoming infected with COVID-19 in January 2021.[24]