A FORMER Love Island star has opened up about his ‘toughest’ health battle with pain, anxiety and depression.
It comes over seven years on from his appearance in the ITV reality dating show.
Love Island’s Jamie Jewitt has opened up about his “toughest” health battle[/caption]
Jamie appeared on the ITV show in 2017 – meeting future wife Camilla Thurlow[/caption]
The pair went on to welcome three children together[/caption]
Jamie Jewitt, 34, placed as runner-up in series three alongside his now-wife Camilla Thurlow.
Speaking on The Optiman Podcast, Jamie shared how the recent festive period affected him.
He said: “It actually really did mess me up, Christmas did.”
Continuing, he recalled: “It’s been a really tough two weeks.
“Toughest in memory. I’ve gone through a real journey from when I stopped drinking [and] got rid of other addictions.
“Last couple years, I’ve really been on a good level. And especially the last eight, nine months when I really cleaned my diet up.”
He revealed: “Really, clean eating made a lot of my struggles go away.
“My digestive issues, my joint pain, my arthritis and struggling with mood and depression.
“It really, really went away and I felt like this whole lift from myself.
“It allowed me to deal with a lot of struggles.”
He later recounted: “I stopped doing all of this and thought I’m gonna enjoy my Christmas, like I’m just programmed to think I need to do.
“What am I programmed to think that means? That means having glasses of wine, eating chocolate and indulging. That’s what I did for two weeks.
“At the end of that two weeks, when I say I struggled physically – my joint pain came back, my digestive issues came back.
“But the worst part of it was, my depression was unbelievable. I would wake up in the morning, my motivation in life… it upsets me to even think about.
“I was driving around and got upset to myself, in the car because I didn’t understand why I was so anxious and angry.”
Jamie recalled his therapist asking “what’s changed in your situation?”.
The star explained: “He would talk me through and make me realise nothing had.
“That was kind of the first thought that went into my head – when I was sitting there and I broke down on the side of the road in my car and I didn’t know why.”
Then 27, Jamie entered the Love Island villa in 2017 as a late arrival on Day 32.
As for Camilla, she had been one of the original islanders who arrived on Day 1.
Help for mental health
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.
The following are free to contact and confidential:
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123, [email protected]
- CALM (the leading movement against suicide in men) www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Shout (for support of all mental health) www.giveusashout.org/get-help/, text 85258 to start a conversation
Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email [email protected] or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).
YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.
Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
The pair wed in September 2021 and last May, their household got a little bigger with the addition of Camilla and Jamie’s third child.
Camilla wrote on Instagram at the time: “And just like that.. we are a family of 5.
“Meet baby Brodie.
“12.38pm 8th May 6lb15oz.”
Jamie recounted his experience while speaking on the Optiman podcast[/caption]
