Convicted tennis legend Boris Becker has given German media a controversial £435,000 TV interview about his eight months behind bars.
Details of the hour-long chat are closely guarded but Web can reveal that three-time Wimbledon ace Becker, 55, will describe his fear at being locked in a “shared cell” with murderers and rapists.
He also reveals his fear that his plans for his release last week would collapse at eleventh hour, forcing him to spend Christmas behind bars and away from his beloved mother Elvira, 87.
Since his release last Thursday, he has holed up in the hotel, the last editing of the interview goes to the last broadcast for Tuesday’s broadcast on Sat 1.
Convicted tennis legend Boris Becker has given German media a controversial £435,000 TV interview about his eight months behind bars
Jailbird Boris Becker is said to finance his new life in Germany by forwarding enormous earnings from TV appearances and book deals to a company founded by his girlfriend
He is believed to be returning to his hometown of Leimen (above left), where his 87-year-old mother Elvira lives, for an emotional reunion with loved ones
A source said: “It was a very quick turnaround but it took some time because the interview was in German and English. The aim is to sell it abroad in a worldwide market and there has been considerable interest.
“He was so busy that he didn’t even have time to see his mother, but they were on the phone. The final edit will be up to a few hours before Tuesday night’s broadcast, after which there will be a live TV debate.’
Becker was freed by HMP Hunterscombe in Oxfordshire last week and flown by the TV station in a private jet from Biggin Hill airfield in Kent to their Munich headquarters to tape the interview.
Interviewer Steven Gatjen saw the former world no.
Ahead of the show, he said: “When I visited him in prison, a very slim Boris Becker greeted me with a smile on his face. In conversation, I found him surprisingly cheerful, like someone who has a lot of time to think.
“And he was very emotional, especially in the moments when he spoke about his time at Wandsworth First Prison. His description of the first days in Wandsworth Prison.
“Not only economic crimes are imprisoned there, but also sex offenders, murderers and major thefts.
“Boris Becker told me he was very afraid of ending up in a collective cell. However, for the first four days he was alone, incommunicado and locked in his cell 24 hours a day, one hour a day.
“During that time he didn’t even take a shower because he didn’t know how and where it was actually done in prison. After those first four days in solitary confinement, his only goal was to get out and work.
“He just wanted some fresh air. He said he would have done anything for it. He enjoyed no celebrity bonus while incarcerated.’
Becker, 55, was believed to be escorted by Home Office officials as he was evicted from HMP Huntercombe in Oxfordshire (pictured).
The deal will allow Becker, 55, to legally hold on to a fortune following his early release from prison in the UK last week – and keep it away from creditors who are owed millions
Becker, who has lived in the UK since 2012, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Southwark Crown Court in April after being found guilty of four bankruptcy proceedings related to his bankruptcy.
The jury ruled he had hidden £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid repaying debts to his creditors.
He was released after just eight months under a special arrangement allowing non-British citizens to be sent back to their home countries to ease the pressure on prisons.
Steven added of their first meeting: “He seemed cautious, but I also got the impression that he wanted to share his experiences of the last few months.
“And it was extremely important for him to make it clear that he didn’t enjoy a celebrity bonus in prison. I think the imprisonment, the separation from family and friends, this completely different life made him really think about his life.
“You have to be aware: Boris Becker has been in the limelight since he was 17. And then he’s suddenly locked up, can’t get out, only gets visitors twice a month, has to adhere to a strict prison system.
“Anyway, I got the impression that this experience really blew him away. When we met in prison, I felt like there was someone sitting in front of me looking for a fresh start.”
Steven added, “I think we’re going to meet someone who will be very emotional and honest about his time in prison, but who has also been thinking deeply about himself and his situation.
“Boris Becker has been under enormous pressure in recent weeks. He suspected he would be released, but that wasn’t certain.
“And that feeling, that hope almost destroyed him,” he said. He was constantly trying to make sure he didn’t attract attention, that he behaved.
“But on the other hand, he has forbidden himself to think too much about freedom, lest he become arrogant and risk being fired. That load is lifted off his shoulders and I think he’s really ready to clean up and fix a lot of things.
Web can also exclusively reveal that he was in such a hurry to escape from prison that he gave away his clothes, shoes and books to fellow inmates, taking only photos of his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro and their children.
A source said: “Prison life has really changed Boris and he has seen how lucky he was and how lucky he was with his life compared to some of the others who were in prison with him. He wants to make amends and start his life over again.’
Under the terms of his release, Becker will not be allowed to return to the UK for ten years, meaning his career as a commentator at the BBC is over and he is seeking television roles in German media abroad.
He has not been seen since he flew back to Germany and is believed to be staying at a luxury hotel near Munich while the final preparations for the TV interview are made.
He hasn’t even had time to visit his elderly mother Elvira, 87, at her family home in Leimen, near Stuttgart, although she has told friends she was “excited to see him”.
She hasn’t left her house – which was built in 1990 with the proceeds of his Wimbledon victories in 1985, 1986 and 1989 – and has a panoramic view over Leimen.
A neighbor stopped by to pick up a bundle of newspapers and later told Web: “Elvira is doing very well. She looks forward to seeing her son. She hasn’t seen him yet, but she had her hair done especially.
“Since his release they have spoken on the phone many times and will spend Christmas with Boris.”
Becker made tennis history by winning Wimbledon in 1985 at the age of 17 and winning five more Grand Slam titles over the next 11 years.