The fame dried up and I just felt worthless
FORMER Ex On The Beach star Connor Hunter says he tried to kill himself to end the misery of life after reality TV.
The fitness model, who was just 18 when he went on the programme, struggled to cope when it ended.
He said he was depressed and suicidal after work dried up after the MTV show – and felt “worthless” as his fame faded.
Speaking to the Daily Star Sunday following the shock suicide of Love Island’s Mike Thalassitis, inset below, Connor said: “No-one explains to you what life is like after these shows when you’ve had your 15 minutes.
“After the show I was enjoying a rock and roll lifestyle of showbiz parties and getting paid thousands just to show up to a club or post something on Instagram.
“I had chauffeurs taking me places, was being flown all over for work and getting asked for autographs wherever I went. It was insane – and of course I loved it.
“But before you know it, it’s over – and no-one really prepares you for what that can do to your self-esteem.”
Connor, now 22, was one of the youngest contestants on the show, which sees ex couples living together in a villa in Spain.
He said after leaving the programme in
2015 he was catapulted into a life he could only dream of. But he added: “You only have a brief shelf-life in that world.
“All of a sudden the work totally dried up, people didn’t want to know – but the bills were still coming in for this lifestyle I could no longer afford.
“I was ringing around these clubs and places and they just weren’t interested – and that rejection and feeling like a has-been was just really horrible.
“It was obvious it was the end of the line and it was a downward spiral from there.
“I couldn’t pay bills, I fell out with friends and family. I sat in my flat listening to music, taking pills, drinking and hoping I’d fall asleep and not wake up.”
Connor said he battled back from the brink with the help of friends and family. Two years later he is fighting fit.
But he believes production companies must take responsibility for contestants.
He said: “You have a 15-minute psych test before the show – when of course you’re in a great place because you’re excited.
“Problems come later, when you realise you aren’t going to be this big star.”