Rob Cross admits not proudest moment of his life and says sorry over unpaid tax bill
Apologetic Rob Cross admits it wasn't the proudest moment of his life to be found not to have paid his tax bill.
But the former World Champion is adamant he's working hard to correct the situation and hopes it doesn't always linger over him.
Last month, Cross was disqualified from acting as a company director for five years after his business failed to pay more than £450,000 in tax.
The 34-year-old set about making it right and has entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement to repay the cash.
Alongside the likes of Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen in New York for the US Darts Masters, Cross opened up on the situation for the first time and told Online Darts: 'I think, look, I've got to talk about it to a certain degree, I think it's fair, it's not my proudest moment of my life.
"I've done wrong and I hold my hands up to it and going down this route, obviously the IVA route to pay the money back, means that I'm not running and I'm going to pay that money back. Look, you make mistakes in life and I'm willing to sort of correct, well, say correct them, it's going to tarnish me, but I'm going to correct them, do the right thing.
"Headspace? It's been going on for two years. It's took two years to try and get to sort of something of a resolve, it's cost me a load of money to get there, needs to be paid back the money, but at the same time, two years, so this isn't like new news for me.
'I think two years ago, I was probably suffering more with it at certain times trying to sort of get everything sorted, getting your eggs into one line, so you know where you're going with it and I have to admit, it's the only thing that I am happy with now is it is sorted. It's there now, it's out, I can just sort of carry on working, I can pay it back and I can move forward.
'I wasn't surprised, I knew obviously that was coming out. Obviously me personally to blame, no one else around me, but at the same time, I knew it was going to come out, I was probably more surprised that it took the best part of two years to come out, so it was a long way, but there was so many complicated things trying to set stuff up and as the UK government didn't want me to go bankrupt, which is rightfully so, and I don't think I've needed to. It's just getting a plan in and getting that paid, so it just gives me a bit more time.
'I think the difference was, if that would have come out when that was going on, two years ago, I think I would have suffered mentally with it, but where it's been going on in the background for two years. Copenhagen, I think a lot of people sort of expected me maybe to pull out, not play because it come out. I think I've never had so many texts and I think people have texted me and made sure I'm alright and it was more like I should be more suicidal, to be honest. But I'm fine with it, I know what I've done wrong and I know what I've got to do to correct it.
'It's not like it's just breaking in my head, it's breaking in front of everyone else and look, I'm sorry to let all my fans down and other stuff, but I will get it sorted, I will get myself back up on my feet and, hopefully, it won't always linger over me for the rest of my life. If it does, then so be it, we still work.'
Cross is defending the title in New York and said: 'Absolutely amazing. I was buzzing walking in. Such an iconic arena. I've been here twice. It's been my third time this year. I loved it from day one, but winning it last year was very, very special. I've had some new darts and I have to admit, I'm not going to lie, I've had a massive rest. I've rested up and sort of tried to build the batteries, that was the aim. Even basing it off Copenhagen, I thought I played steady and I was consistent and I never really practised there much, so I'm good. I'm mentally good and that's where I need to be.'
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