Love Island star Jack Fincham attempted to take his own life over Christmas as he struggled with his decreasing workload and bank balance.
The 30-year-old said that he ‘hit rock bottom’ last year as he lost brand deals due to ‘bad headlines’ and struggled with depression.
Jack won series four of Love Island in 2018 with then-girlfriend Dani Dyer, but split from the star after six months together.
Since the show, Jack has appeared on other reality shows like Celebs Go Dating and The All New Full Monty, but online spats with the mother of his daughter Blossom and a drug driving charge, for which he will appear in court in December, have stalled his career.
The reality star shared his experience on The Steven Sulley Study podcast, saying that the lack of structure after winning Love Island, teamed with money from lucrative deals and his newfound fame, sent him spiralling.
Jack said: ‘With me, I’ve got really bad ADHD, I can’t concentrate on anything… it’s awful. If I don’t have a structure… I was earning good money doing sales, I was happy. I had a structure there. I knew if I went out on a Wednesday and didn’t turn up Thursday, you’d get a bit of a b*****king.
‘When I was huge, there was no backlash. If I wanted to go out and do something and I didn’t want to turn up the next day, then I wouldn’t, and that’s the wrong attitude. There was no structure. I had all this time and money on my hands, and I just… I wouldn’t say f***ed it, but put it this way, without that structure, I fell to bits.
‘I was depressed. This is only over the last year when the money was running out and work was drying out because of the bad headlines. I’m not a bad person but sometimes good people do bad things, and unfortunately, the press and people who read the press believe what they read.
‘That messed me up, I lost a lot of work doing silly things. All of a sudden the phone stopped ringing. Over the last six months I’m in panic mode.’
Jack continued: ‘I have hit rock bottom. Rock bottom for me was not earning the money I was earning and just feeling like, at points, I didn’t want to be here. I’ve never said this before. Christmas time, I took an overdose mate. I was ready to go. I didn’t want to be here. It’s upsetting to think…
‘Then March, my nan passed away. That really affected me, and that year and a half has just been a downward spiral, watching the money go down and down and down, watching work go down and down and down. More and more time to be in your own head, more and more time to think “what is my purpose”.
‘Reading people’s stupid hate comments on Instagram. Back in the day, I didn’t give a s***, I was like, I don’t give a f***, I have x amount in the bank, why would I care what you think? Now I was starting to care what they think.’
Jack said that he ‘felt like I had to hit this point because there is no other way than upwards’, and has now gone back to his roots and set up an office supply and stationary company to provide him with structure and a steady income.
He is also hoping to regain trust with brands and studios to get back his television career.
Also on the podcast, the former salesman criticised Love Island producers for not giving islanders enough guidance on their finances.
He said: ‘I think there should be more guidance. They should say, “listen, you’re going to earn this amount of money, invest it, save it, do something with it.”’
Jack added: ‘They don’t tell you how to manage your money. You’re getting these brand deals, you’re getting this TV work, it’s super super money.
‘My personality, having a tonne of money on your hands is a bad, bad mix, and over the last three years, I spiralled out of control, and I’m only just now pulling myself back together.’
Since Jack’s time on the ITV2 show, ITV has installed new duty of care protocols for islanders, including giving them training on financial management, training on the impact of social media, advice on adjusting to life back home, and a minimum of eight therapy sessions upon leaving the villa.
The aftercare was increased following the suicides of two former Love Island stars.
Series two star Sophie Gradon took her own life in 2018, and series four star Mike Thalassitis died by suicide in 2019.
The show’s host Caroline Flack also died by suicide aged 40 in February 2020.
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