Love Island UK contestant Jacques O’Neill leaves villa in shock after emotional breakdown

Love Island UK contestant Jacques O’Neill leaves villa in shock after emotional breakdown

Jacques and Paige who were paired up when the rugby player decided to leave.

ITV

Jacques and Paige who were paired up when the rugby player decided to leave.

The shocking departure of Love Island Jacques O’Neill in the midst of an emotional slump has highlighted once again whether the producers of the British reality show are doing enough to ensure the well-being of the contestants.

The bulk of episode 37, released today in New Zealand on Neon, focused on 23-year-old Jacques’ emotional distress over Paige Thorne, who he’s been linked to. She was courted by returning Love Island contestant Adam Collard.

The chain of events leading up to the surprising departure began when fellow islander (and his ex-partner on the outside) Gemma Owen told Jacques that Adam expressed doubts about Jacques’ ability to remain faithful after the show ended and he’d get attention outside.

“He was really butchering you,” said Gemma, the daughter of Liverpool striker Michael Owen.

An annoyed Jacques replied: “If he wants f…..g go, I’ll go mate”.

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In a confession video, Paige admitted, “I’m not here to be someone’s mom or teach them how to be a boyfriend.”

After a heated conversation with Paige and a night to ponder his reaction, Jacques decided to remove himself from the situation for the sake of his own mental well-being.

“I wish I could finish my trip here with you, but I’m going home today,” he told his partner Paige.

“The only way to come back to myself is to go home.”

Jacques decided it was best for him to leave the villa.

ITV

Jacques decided it was best for him to leave the villa.

When he announced his departure, he told the other contestants, “I have something special with Paige and I’m going to make sure that works on the outside as well.”

Last week, the online heat over Jacques’s handling of the fallout from his indiscretions at Casa Amor caused his sister to reveal that he has ADHD.

“Jacques was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 9 years old. This is by no means an exit clause for his actions, but it is to show that sometimes he can fundamentally struggle with his emotions,” she wrote on Instagram.

“He is a wonderful person who I can proudly call my friend/brother. All the hate thrown at Jacques does not go directly to him….It is about his loved ones who have always supported him and not just while he is on Love Island.”

The post claimed that the crew had access to the reality show’s story.

“Love Island, though real. Is still a show where the producers are in control and we see 45 minutes out of the 1440 in 24 hours. Be kind♥️”

Jacques O'Neill is a 23-year-old rugby player from Cumbria.

Neon

Jacques O’Neill is a 23-year-old rugby player from Cumbria.

ITV which produced the show declined to comment on whether they were aware of Jacques’s ADHD.

The male contestant who entered the villa this week and caught Paige’s attention, Adam, is no stranger to criticism and his return is seen as controversial.

During his original stint at the Love Island villa in 2018, Adam played a number of female contestants against each other. The British charity Women’s Aid wrote an open letter expressing concern about the behavior and suggesting it was a red flag of emotional abuse.

ITV said they had introduced more rigorous mental health support this yearthe suicides of former participantsSophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, and host Caroline Flack, had highlighted shortcomings in the breadth of aftercare offerings.

It’s unclear if this improved pastoral care played a role in Jacques’ decision to step off the show.

The Guardian reported Islanders had “regular conversations with a mental health professional before, during, and after the show; training and therapy sessions on social media, encouragement to seek advice about future TV, advertising and other public appearances after the show, and how to take care of their finances.”

“The show now screens contestants for vulnerabilities and requires them to reveal a medical history that could make it harder for them to be on the show.”

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