Love Island's Jonny Mitchell sets up petition following Mike Thalassitis' tragic death
He's urging Love Island bosses to do more
Following the sad and shocking news that Love Island and Celebs Go Dating star Mike Thalassitis committed suicide over the weekend, his friend and former Islander Jonny Mitchell has taken it upon himself to set up a petition in an attempt to get bosses to 'give real support to all contestants'.
After the tragic news on Mike's death broke, many former Love Island stars were quick to pay tribute to the 26-year-old, as well as a number of them slamming the 'after-care' procedure given by Love Island bosses.
Now, after it was confirmed that Mike took his own life, Jonny has set up a petition on Change.org called, 'No more suicides - give real support to all contestants'.
Writing on the page, Jonny revealed he is 'utterly heartbroken' at the news of his friend's passing, and urged people to sign the petition.
He wrote, 'I got to know Mike Thalassitis when we appeared together in ITV’s Love Island, and he quickly became one of my best friends from the show. I always looked up to him - he was so full of positivity and charisma. When I found out this weekend that he had taken his own life I was utterly heartbroken.
'In the space of a year, two Love Island contestants have been in such a dark place that they’ve felt it necessary to take their own lives. Aside from that I know many, many more people who have also struggled with depression following on from the show.
'I think it’s time to wake up and see that the way this industry operates is toxic and it costs lives.'
Jonny, who appeared on the 2017 series of the popular reality show, later revealed he met the show's psychologist twice before he entered the villa, but later admitted after the show ended, no support was given by producers.
He wrote, 'Producers can sell you the dream, pretend to be your best friend, use you for their own agenda, push you into situations on the show and then sell the public an image of your character however best suits the show through how they edit it, and then they send you out into the world with a pat on the back and nothing more.
'I remember having to meet the show psychologist twice before filming started and there was always a high amount of interest around my mental health from the producers (because obviously they don’t want to risk someone having a meltdown on the show), but after the filming stops you have no help or aftercare to help you cope with the world waiting for you.'
At the time of publication, a massive 63,816 people have already signed the petition, with Jonny setting a goal of 75,000. You can read his full plea right here.
Meanwhile, Jonny's petition comes just days after a number of former Love Island stars hit out at the show's producers.
Dom Lever, who also took part in the show in 2017 with Mike, took to Twitter to criticise the lack of after-care following the show, writing, '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.'
Malin Andersson, who took part in the show in 2016, also blasted the show after dealing with the death of her mother shortly after leaving the villa, and also losing her baby daughter earlier this year.
She wrote, 'If I didn't have a strong head on me that my mum passed down to me, I wouldn't have been able to cope with this all. But not everyone is like this. PLEASE IF YOU FEEL ALONE, OR SAD, OR STUCK REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY!'. sic
Despite the backlash, Love Island bosses have hit back, telling Metro.co.uk, "Care for our Islanders is a process the show takes very seriously and is a continuous process for all those taking part in the show.
“We ensure that all of our Contributors are able to access psychological support before, during and after appearing on the show. The programme will always provide ongoing support when needed and where appropriate."
If you're struggling with your mental health, Samaritans can provide 24/7 confidential support on their free helpline. Dial 116 113.