Former AFL star Ben Cousins will return to TV in sit-down chat with Basil Zempilas in first formal interview since 2012

Ben Cousins has given a warts-and-all exclusive interview about his chaotic life to Seven’s Basil Zempilas. In one of the most sought after interviews in Australia, the fallen West Coast star put his faith in Zempilas to tell his painful story about his battle with drugs after his AFL career ended in 2010. The marathon interview — soon to air at prime time as a feature-length special — will also delve into how Cousins has dealt with two prison stints. It was filmed with Zempilas across five days last week. Seven’s head of news and current affairs Craig McPherson said fans’ questions would be answered in the tell-all interview. “It’s one of the great untold stories in Australian sport,” he said. “Why did Ben Cousins go so dramatically off the rails? What really happened to him over the past decade? “It’s an epic story of a riches-to-rags life infused with great hope and desire to get back on track.” The 41-year-old Brownlow medallist has become one of the nation’s highest-profile drug addicts but it was his 238-game career spanning across 12 years that made him a household name. He captained the Eagles and won a premiership with the team in 2006 when they beat Sydney by a point in one of the all-time memorable grand finals. The 41-year-old finished his career with Richmond after having his contract terminated by West Coast in October 2007 because of his erratic off-field antics. Cousins was released from prison in August after charges of stalking and harassing his former partner Maylea Tinecheff were dropped. Today, Cousins was pictured on Instagram with Eagles star Nic Naitanui in a heart-warming photo of the pair enjoying a catch-up in public.