Love Island UK star speaks out about suicide in a moving Australian podcast interview

A former Love Island UK star has spoken out about mental health and suicide in a moving new interview on an Australian podcast.

Alex Miller, who spent eight days on season four of the show in 2018, was asked about the topic on Gabrielle Scawthorn’s Back From Reality podcast – after three people linked to the show tragically took their own lives in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Host Gabrielle asked Alex, 30, if there was anything about the show that puts people in a negative head space.

He responded: ‘I don’t know specifically. It’s peaks and troughs – on your way up to the top, it’s a steep peak and you get there instantly. But it’s a hell of a drop on the other side.

‘When that new wave of contestants comes through, you’re old news. You do not matter anymore.

‘The aftercare needs to overlap the next series just to take care of that.’ 

Speaking about the effects of social media, Alex poignantly added: ‘It’s all smoke and mirrors on Instagram. You never know what’s going on behind closed doors.’

In the UK, three much-loved stars from the show died from suicide in news which left the nation completely shocked and devastated. 

Sophie Gradon, 32, took her own life back in June 2018 after appearing on season two of the show two years prior. Her heartbroken boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25, took his own life just 20 days later.

Mike Thalassitis rose to fame on the third season of the show. The 26-year-old footballer tragically lost his life to suicide a year after Sophie in March 2019.

And in 2020, the host of Love Island, 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.

Following contestant Mike’s passing in 2019, ITV – which airs Love Island in the UK – stated the team had ramped up the aftercare available to stars who appear on the show.

‘We are outlining today our welfare processes follow three key stages: pre-filming, filming and aftercare,’ creative Director ITV Studios Entertainment Richard Cowles said at the time.

‘We are increasing our post filming support to help Islanders following their time in villa.’

The network says each contestant now receives ‘bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home, a minimum of eight therapy sessions when they return home, and proactive contact with islanders for a period of 14 months up until the end of the next series,’ among other details.

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