Together they satisfied Kate Middleton, visited the world first-rate, offered 9 million books and made 2 motion pictures.
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Fans from North America to Asia had actually been swept up in the heart-warming story of how a roaming ginger cat assisted the homeless busker to quit drugs.
On social networks individuals couldn’t get enough of videos of Bob high-fiving passers-by as he set down on James’s shoulder.
But when Bob was torn down and killed by a speeding driver in June 2020, that fairy tale developed into a headache.
Tormented with sorrow by the loss of “the love of my life”, James discovered himself in a “hole” he required to fill.
The author exposes for the very first time that he picked to fill it with the drugs which had almost killed him previously.
The 43-year-old Londoner says: “When Bob died, he was the love of my life.
“He was my friend and I was wailing in discomfort and sadness for months on end.
“I remember feeling suicidal. I felt I wanted it to end. I started looking for an escape again and I started using heroin once more.”
Gradually, James got hooked on the class-A drug which eliminates more individuals than any other unlawful compound in Britain.
It cost him his scheduled marital relationship to fiancée Monika Hertes and almost his “sanity”.
By last summer season he was taking heroin every day and was back to the state he remained in prior to he satisfied Bob.
Cold turkey on Bangkok streets
James was racked by regret for pulling down his friends and family, and the countless fans still following his social networks pages.
Most of all, he understood he had actually pulled down Bob.
“I wouldn’t have gone on the heroin if he had been around,” James informs The Sun.
Finally, at the end of in 2015, he chose to give up.
The strategy was to go to a rehab centre in Thailand, however when he arrived in November James found there had actually been a mix-up about the financing and he needed to leave after just 2 days.
The next thing James understood, he was going “cold turkey” on the streets of capital city Bangkok.
And despite the fact that his hip bones had actually collapsed due to all the years sleeping rough in London, this showed to be his most difficult minute.
James says: “I ended up doing a straight-up detox on the streets of Bangkok. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.”
All alone in a foreign land, he had no pain relievers and no money for anywhere to remain.
“I had sweats, cramps — hot and cold, never comfortable. The headaches are the worst,” he describes.
Realising he might not cope on the busy city’s extremely damp streets, James began messaging everybody he understood back home.
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Remarkably, the very first individual to address his Whatsapp call was star Luke Treadaway. who played James in the 2 A Street Cat Named Bob movies.
Luke, 38, who likewise depicted Alex Higgins in the BBC snooker film The Rack Pack and starred in Angelina’s Jolie’s movie Unbroken, provided to help.
He supplied the money James required to remain at a backpackers’ hostel then purchase a flight home.
The previous Big Issue seller says of Luke: “How incredible he was, to be there for me after all this time.”
After 4 days and 3 nights detoxing in Bangkok, James understands he cannot make the very same possibly deadly error once again.
Since going back to his home in South London almost 3 months earlier, he has actually not touched drugs once again.
“It made me realise I screwed everything up and I needed to make it right,” James guarantees.
He understands that he requires a function in life.
His strategy is to go back to supporting organisations such as The Big Issue, which assists homeless individuals, and the Blue Cross animal charity.
James, who has actually launched tunes in the past, has a home studio where he is making more music — and there is likewise interest in him making a documentary series about living down and out.
He likewise wishes to move from the removed £500,000 home “which Bob bought me” due to the fact that it holds a lot of memories of the cat.
To many individuals, it may sound unusual that a person individual’s hopes and dreams might be so inextricably connected to their animal, however there is little doubt that James had an amazing connection with Bob.
The roaming begun following him all over soon after he relocated to a council flat in North London in 2007.
When Bob did not expensive walking, he would perch on James’s shoulder — and he stunned his owner with his level of intelligence.
James says: “Bob was a genius. He knew where the camera was, we had to put child locks on all the cupboards because of him.”
When they initially satisfied, James was on a methadone program focused on weaning him off opioids.
He credits the friendly feline with encouraging him to remain off drugs.
That uplifting tale was developed into the very popular book A Street Cat Named Bob in 2010, which offered more than a million copies in Britain and reached worldwide best-seller lists.
James says: “Everywhere we went individuals queued to see us when we did book finalizings. Fonz star Henry Winkler queued for 3 hours to satisfy us at the Covent Garden Waterstones, I was informed.
‘Bob’s soul hung on till I existed’
“I felt that being in the public eye I was able to serve a purpose. Explaining where I came from.”
The set checked out Japan, Germany, Norway, Holland, Portugal, France and Canada, and satisfied royalty at The Street Cat Named Bob best in 2016 participated in by Kate, now Princess of Wales.
Bob played himself in the film, with help from a couple of furry stand-ins.
James remembers: “She gave Bob a scratch by the ears. He knew he was in the presence of important people. We had a little chat. She does incredible work.”
The approximated £1million James made from book sales implied he had the ability to purchase his own home.
Finally settled, he satisfied Monika in 2018 and they were preparing to get hitched in 2020.
But Covid lockdown limitations required them to hold off the event.
When Bob did not return home one night, the frenzied couple went searching all over for him.
They found out that unfortunately he had actually been required to a veterinarian after being run over.
By the time James showed up, his most valuable friend had actually been stated dead.
But he exposes: “His eyes were still open when I gathered him from the veterinarian’s.
“As I took him home, I believe his soul held on until I was there, then he closed his eyes.”
No one is specific how old Bob was, due to the fact that James discovered him as a roaming, however he was most likely aged in between 14 and 16.
James filled their home with brand-new animals, consisting of cats Bandit and Gizmo, both aged 3, and a dog called Chewbacca, aged 2.
They already had actually another cat called Jinxy, 5, who has actually been understood to do high-fives like Bob.
But neither the animals nor his wife-to-be sufficed to shake the struggling artist out of his frustrating sorrow.
He describes: “I got Bandit and Gizmo and they offered me a spring of hope, once you remain in that spiral it is difficult to go out.
“I was failing my relationship. I didn’t want to cause her any grief, so I ended it with her.”
Like many individuals who discover abrupt popularity, it was likewise hard for James to no longer be included with prominent jobs.
He says: “I was proud of what I was doing. When it disappeared, I was in a hole. I have a hole I need to fill.”
Thankfully, he does have a great deal of good friends and fans who desire him to be successful.
Learning of his issues in 2015, a group of fans got some money together to help him kick controlled substances.
But he wishes to assure them it is no longer required and the money will be returned.
James is supported by his papa John in London, however he is still separated from his mum Penelope, who resides in Australia.
More than two-and-a-half years after Bob’s death, however, it is clear the discomfort will never ever disappear.
Even now, James still speaks about his animal in today tense, stating: “I am so proud to be his owner.”
By pulling himself back from the edge once again, he would have made Bob happy also.
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