Ronnie Wood - Jo Wood Feared Ronnie Would Die

RONNIE WOOD's ex-wife JO has long been tormented by the ROLLING STONES star's alcohol addiction - she spent years fearing her partner would "drop dead because of his drinking."

The musician divorced his wife of 23 years in 2009 after he left her for young Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova.

But despite their break-up, Jo admits she still cares deeply for her ex-husband and hopes his reported admission to rehab last month (Jan10) will help him kick booze for good.

She says, "I was constantly worried he'd drop dead because of his drinking, and I never knew when he was going to go mad because there was no alcohol in the house. I was very protective and I didn't want anyone to see the seriousness of his addiction. It was stressful.

"For him to become sober he needs to go into rehab. I don't think he's strong enough to do it himself. But I hope he does stay sober. He's such a sweet man when he is."

And she's concerned for Wood since he split from Ivanova in December (09), but she's adamant she couldn't ever rekindle her relationship with the rocker: "I think we all knew it would end in tears, but I worry about Ronnie. He's not good on his own. I liked that he had someone to take care of him. Now I worry he's a loose cannon.

"I loved him and thought we'd grow old together, but knowing he'd been with someone else for 18 months... I couldn't live with him again. I can't imagine being with him now. I've come out from his shadow."