James Lock reacts for the first time to ex-girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou’s car crash

James Lock reacted for the first time to ex-girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou’s car crash that killed her former partner Jake McLean – revealing he regretted ‘blanking’ her last text before the accident.

The reality star, 35, admitted that he blocked Yazmin’s number because her being in touch had put ‘strain’ on a current relationship but insisted that he wasn’t being ‘cold.’

On Sunday’s episode of The Only Way Is Essex, James told co-star Jordan Brook that Yazmin, 28, was ‘lucky to be alive’ after she walked away from the smash with a broken arm while her ex-lover Jake was pronounced dead at the scene aged 33.

James told Jordan: ‘Mate, to be honest I’m just shocked. I’m shocked at what’s happened to Yaz.

‘It’s mad I can’t get my head around it to be honest. From what I know she’s a lucky girl just to be alive. She’s stable, she’s in hospital, and her family is there so that’s the main thing.

‘It’s scary and puts everything in perspective. It makes you realise certain things… you know something, she messaged me the other day and I blanked her and then I blocked her.

‘As much as we don’t work as a couple, we’ve always been there for each other. The only reason I blocked her is because I feel like me and her put strains on our other relationships when we’re trying to move on.

‘I blanked her’: James admitted that he blocked Yazmin’s number because her being in touch had put ‘strain’ on a current relationship but insisted that he wasn’t being ‘cold’ 

Tragic: James told Jordan Brook that Yazmin was ‘lucky to be alive’ after she walked away from the smash with a broken arm while her ex-lover Jake was pronounced dead at the scene 

‘When she messaged that caused a problem so that’s why I blocked her, I wasn’t being cold. I thought I was doing the right thing. I’ve been speaking to Junaid everyday asking if she’s sweet and that. She knows I’ve asked about her.’

Jake tragically died in July after driving his car off a cliff in Bodrum, Turkey, while Yazmin, who was a passenger, suffered injuries to her left arm. 

The Essex businessman, who rose to fame when he dated reality star Lauren Goodger, was laid to rest last month – but Yazmin wasn’t invited to the funeral. 

Jake’s family are said to have disapproved of the pair’s relationship and believe the couple were arguing at the point of the crash. 

Emotion: James admitted that while his relationship with Yazmin didn’t work, the former couple have still ‘always been there for each other’ (pictured in 2019) 

Elsewhere in the episode, Amber Turner reflected on her broken friendship with Yazmin, as she cried to boyfriend Dan Edgar about the sad news.

She said: ‘I feel like I haven’t really cried yet because it’s like I don’t want to be getting upset because it’s not really me in the situation.

‘I don’t want to get sad, but I just feel like it’s just s*** because me and her weren’t in the best of places but we were better. It’s just hard.’

Dan added: ‘It’s terrible what’s happened but you have got to try and think of the positives. Yaz is okay, she’s lucky to come out of it alive.’ 

‘She is my sister’: Junaid Ahmed broke down in tears as he discussed his love for Yazmin, who he described as family 

Yazmin’s close friends and co-stars Dani Imbert, Harry Derbidge, and Junaid Ahmed discussed their feelings after she escaped death in the car crash.

Harry said: ‘I think we’re all lost for words, aren’t we? I just keep thinking how brave she must have been to go through that.’

Dani added: ‘With Yazmin being in a serious accident I think obviously we are all close to her and it’s a hard situation for us all, but I think Junaid, it’s hard for you.’

Junaid sobbed: ‘No one gets it. She’s more than just a best friend to me – she is my sister. I can’t help her.’

‘No one gets it’: Junaid struggled with his emotions as he was comforted by Dani and Harry in scenes filmed for TOWIE following Yazmin’s car accident