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Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has been left devastated following the tragic death of a close friend. The 34-year-old star, who rose to prominence after appearing on The Apprentice in 2019, shared his anguish after discovering his mate "took his own life" following a struggle with mental health issues. Taking to social media, the charismatic personality, who became the first contestant eliminated from the BBC dance competition, revealed: "The last couple of weeks I've been trying to get hold of an old mate of mine who I ain't seen face to face in a couple of years. Always the odd message or text but haven't got round to catching up." He continued: "We all know how busy life is with work and children and we kept saying we will meet up soon. "I wanted to ask his advice on something as it's what he does for work and I couldn't get through to him so I've had to reach out to people that know him today and I've just found out he'd taken his own life recently." In his heartfelt message, he went on: "I'm absolutely gutted. I'm heartbroken for him and his family. I honestly didn't know.", reports the Mirror . The reality television personality recently appeared to suffer a breakdown online as he alleged Strictly Come Dancing turned him into a "target", resulting in "constant abuse." For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Sources close to the TV figure have suggested that he has been abandoned by some of his circle following "abuse and lies about him." This follows his confession to an affair with a woman called Amy-Lucy O'Rourke just weeks after marrying Sinead. At the time, he confessed to The Sun: "I'm just so lucky that she forgave me. "When I told my wife, I fully understood if she were to never speak to me again. It just shows you that 10 minutes can just ruin your whole life." Discussing suicide and mental health, Thomas added in his post: "This is happening to men my age all the time. We bottle it up, crack on like nothing's wrong, and inside we're struggling." He further stated: "So if you're reading this and you're having a bad time. Please, please speak to someone. Don't sit in silence. There is always a way out, even if you can't see it right now." He continued: "It might take time, but things do get better. It might take a week, a month even a year but it will get better. "I promise you. Honestly I'm absolutely heartbroken that I didn't know. A phone call can change someone's life." He reiterated: "A chat and a pint might save someone's life. Tough times don't last, tough people do. Look after yourself and each other. I am going to have a pint for my friend. RIP my mate." Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .
