Love Island star Mike Thalassitis has been found dead in woodland earlier today.
His manager confirmed the shock news earlier this evening. The cause of his death is not yet known and police are yet to release any information.
His death comes just months after his best friend Danny Cutts passed away. It has also been suggested that Mike had been struggling to come to terms with the death of his grandmother, who is said to have passed away just a few days ago.
He had moved in with his 94-year-old grandmother as she needed a full time carer. As well as this he had been preparing to open a restaurant in Essex.
The 26-year-old rose to fame on Love Island in 2017, where he became a TV sensation after his stint in the famous ITV villa.
The former League One footballer, who comes from a Cypriot family, enjoyed a successful playing career before becoming a beloved reality TV star after appearing on season three of Love Island in the summer of 2017.
He had previously been in a relationship with The Only Way Is Essex star and country singer Megan McKenna, who is yet to make a statement about his death.
He last played football for Margate in 2017 before going on to appear on Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2018. During his stint on the show he joined fellow celebrities such as Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson and TOWIE’s Gemma Collins.
In the latest series of the show Megan McKenna has also made an appearance, looking for love after the pair finally broke off their on/off relationship earlier this year.
After learning of the news of his death, former Love Island co-star Dom Lever slammed the ITV show for its lack of support once contestants leave the villa.
He said: ‘You get a psychological evaluation before and after you go on the show but hands down once you are done on the show you don’t get any support unless you’re number one.’ This followed a tweet where he expressed how shocked he was at the news.
‘I’m shocked at the news!! me and @mikethalassitis may not have seen eye to eye but he was a top guy.’
Love Island host Caroline Flack dubbed Thalassitis a ‘total gentleman’.
She said: ‘Mike… you were a total gentleman… I won’t forget that … it’s so sad …you will be missed. RIP.’
Love Island star Mike Thalassitis (pictured left and right) was found dead near his hometown in Essex today
Thalassitis had just went through a public breakup following a seven month relationship with fellow The Only Way Is Essex star Megan McKenna
The former footballer enjoyed a seven-month relationship with Megan McKenna (pictured on a break away together in Tenerife) following his stint on Celebs Go Dating
The Only Way Is Essex star Mario Falcone shared his condolences on Instagram with a picture of the pair. He encouraged others to speak up about mental health struggles
Previous Love Island star Chris Hughes also took to social media tonight to pay his respects.
He tweeted: ‘His name wasn’t Muggy Mike. Please stop brandishing that. His name was Mike Thalassitis, and every inch of my heart goes out to his family & friends. A good guy, taken far, far to soon.’
Fellow Love Island contestant Olivia Atwood posted on Instagram: “Literally don’t know what to say. Another one gone too young. Thinking of mike’s family and friends at the horrendous time. you will be missed terribly.”
Thalassitis gained notoriety on the show for opting to pair with Atwood, despite the fact she was in a relationship with Chris Hughes.
Olivia Attwood gazes at Mike Thalassitis during the third series of Love Island, with rumours flying about a potential romance between the pair
Comedian London Hughes, who starred on Celebs Go Dating alongside Mike, paid tribute to her co-star on Twitter
This is the reality TV star’s last Instagram post and fans posted their heartfelt tributes to Thalassitis after the news of his death broke
Following the comments from Dom Lever – other stars also hit out at the producers of Love Island. Malin Anderson, who lost her daughter earlier this year said she ‘wouldn’t have been able to cope’ after the show if she didn’t have a ‘strong head on her’.
She said: ‘Shows offer you ‘support’ but realistically it’s only while you are in their care. Minute you get home & are no longer making them money it’s out of sight out of mind. There should be ongoing support & also finacial advice. Life after these shows isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.’
She also urged the show to ‘wake up!’ and said that enough was enough.
‘I got flowers from the producers when my daughter died. No fucking phone call. No support, or help.’
His death comes as the death into an inquest of another former Love Island star Sophie Gradon was cancelled after her parents asked for more time to consider a report which was recently received.
The inquest, scheduled for next Thursday, was cancelled by Northumberland Coroner’s Court. The 32-year-old who featured on the show’s 2016 series, was found dead at her home in Ponteland, near Newcastle, on June 20 last year.
Her boyfriend, Aaron Armstrong, died 20 days later at his home in Blyth, Northumberland.
The inquest into her death was cancelled after her parents received ‘new information’.
Scheduled for next Thursday, it was cancelled by Northumberland Coroner’s Court.
A statement said: ‘Please note that it has been necessary to cancel the hearing date.
‘Sophie’s parents have requested further time to consider a report which was only recently received.’
Her mother, Anastacia Beverhousn, wrote on Twitter in February that the family are still waiting for access to her iPhone almost nine months after her death.
Tributes for the TV star have flooded in from other celebrities, including fellow Love Islander Olivia Buckland, who said Mike would be forever loved
Michael Thalassitis playing for Stevenage in August 2011 (left), during his fledgling football career that saw him play for the Cypriot youth teams. He is pictured (right) in his Bishop’s Stortford kit
Mike had dated Megan McKenna for seven months and confirmed their separation in August. She had previously highlighted that Mike wasn’t a ‘nasty person’. She had previously told OK Magazine that the pair were just ‘two different people’.
‘I can’t even say why we split. I just feel like we’re both at different point in our lives.
‘We both respect each other and we didn’t want it to get nasty or messy. There is only so much you can do in a relationship and when it’s not working you’ve got to take separate routes.’
She continued: ‘But I wish him all the luck in the world, he’s not a nasty person. Everything happens for a reason. It wasn’t one of those break-ups like ones I’ve had in the past where it was really bitter and nasty, this was more a decision we made together.
Love Island star Chris Hughes tweeted his upset after learning of the death of his friend and former co-star
One Twitter user said that the former Love Island star had been ‘taken far too soon’ as she tweeted her respects to the celebrity
Another social media user urged people to be kind to others after learning of the death of Mike Thalassitis
One user highlighted the growing needs of mental health support in the UK and said that ‘so so much more’ needed to be done in order to protect mental health needs
‘The way I dealt with things in the past with my exes was by screaming and that was not a good way to deal with it.’
Shocked fans of Mike’s took to social media to pay tribute to the reality TV star as the news emerged. One fan tweeted: ‘RIP Muggy Mike’.
Another took to Thalassitis’ Instagram account to pay tribute, writing ‘Rest in peace’ below his most recent post.
The star had a very public romance with TOWIE star Megan McKenna following his stint on Celebs Go Dating earlier this year. The pair were said to have broken up a few times during their relationship, calling it quits earlier this year with Megan going on to star in the newest series of Celebs Go Dating.
Chelmsford City FC tweeted their condolences and said: ‘The Club are saddened to hear the news of the passing of former striker Mike Thalassitis. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends at this time.
Another TOWIE star, Mario Falcone, took to Instagram to share his condolences and posted a picture of the pair. He said: Truly heartbroken by the news. He was always a complete gentleman. I know you had your struggles. A young man with so much life left to live. Please guys, if you are struggling, talk to someone…RIP brother.’
Ex Tyla Carr leads heartbreaking tributes to ‘lovely’ and ‘kind’ star
Tributes have flooded in for late Love Island star Mike Thalassitis after he was found dead near his hometown on Saturday.
The reality star’s former co-stars took to social media to express their condolences after reports emerged that the 26-year-old had passed in a forest in his hometown in Essex.
The former League Two footballer enjoyed a successful playing career before becoming a beloved reality TV star after appearing on season three of Love Island in the summer of 2017.
Former Love Island star Tyla Rosie Carr said: ‘I can’t believe the call I’ve just had. Mike, you were love by all the Love island family. You’ll be missed so much. All my love goes out to your friends and family. Shocked.’
Heartbreaking: Tributes have flooded in for late Love Island star Mike Thalassitis after he was found dead near his hometown on Saturday
Mike Thalassitis pictured with Jessica Shears, after they were both eliminated from the Love Island are villa at the same time during the series in 2017
Thalassitis was a former professional footballer who was even called up to the Cyprus national team, though he got injured and never ended up playing for them
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