Love Island Australia star Teddy Briggs has spoken out about mental health and suicide following his stint on the show in 2018.
The e-commerce professional was asked about the topic on Gabrielle Scawthorn’s Back From Reality podcast, after three stars linked to the UK version of the reality program tragically took their own lives in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
On Wednesday, Teddy – who was 25 at the time he appeared on Love Island – said the news of Mike Thalassitis’ death in 2019 completely ‘broke his heart’ after many of his friends had compared him to the footballer.
Speaking out: Love Island Australia star Teddy Briggs has discussed mental health and suicide in a new podcast interview following his stint on the show in 2018
‘That’s how I first found out about Love Island, because people were tagging me in his photos saying we look similar,’ he said.
Mike rose to fame on the third season of Love Island UK, but tragically lost his life to suicide at the age of 26.
‘When I auditioned, they told me I looked like Mike,’ Teddy explained. ‘He was my favourite from that season. So when that happened, that’s when it sort of hit me – because I had that link, that connection.
‘That’s when it really broke my heart.’
Tragic: Mike Thalassitis rose to fame on the third season of the show. The 26-year-old footballer tragically lost his life to suicide in March 2019
In the UK, Mike was one of three much-loved stars from the program who died from suicide.
Sophie Gradon, 32, also took her own life back in June 2018, after appearing on season two two years prior. Her heartbroken boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25, took his own life just 20 days later.
A year after Mike’s passing in 2019, host of Love Island UK, Caroline Flack, left her role presenting the show in the wake of her arrest over an alleged assault on her boyfriend.
The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 40, was later found dead at her home in Stoke Newington, London, on February 15. She too had taken her own life.
Heartbreaking: Sophie Gradon, 32, also took her own life back in June 2018, after appearing on season two two years prior. Her heartbroken boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25, took his own life just 20 days later
Teddy said that Love Island Australia offered an abundance of help for contestants after they left the show.
But he added that it is more important than ever for people to practice ‘self care’, and ask for help should they ever need it.
‘When we were cave people, we weren’t judged by hundreds of thousands of people. Dynamics were different, we weren’t always attached to our phones,’ he said.
‘I think there’s all these external factors that we need to compensate for, which can increase people’s anxiety and depression.
‘Self care is important now, more than any other time in the history of human beings.’
If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 1 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Devastating: A year after Mike’s passing in 2019, host of Love Island UK, Caroline Flack, left her role presenting the show in the wake of her arrest over an alleged assault on her boyfriend. The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 40, was later found dead at her home in Stoke Newington, London, on February 15. She too had taken her own life