RYLAN Clark has bravely opened up on his multiple suicide attempts as the TV star confessed he couldn’t “eat, breathe or sleep” when he hit rock bottom.
Earlier this year, Rylan, 34, told how he tried to take his own life twice after the breakdown of his marriage.
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Rylan Clark has bravely opened up on his suicide attempts
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The former X Factor star told how he ‘couldn’t do anything’ during his downward spiralCredit: Instagram
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He spoke candidly on Matt Willis’ new On The Mend podcastCredit: On The Mend
The X Factor favourite and his husband Dan Neal split in 2021 following six years of marriage.
Now Rylan has candidly addressed his downward spiral on Matt Willis’ On The Mend podcast, admitting he lost himself after the divorce.
He told the Busted chart-topper: “I can’t remember what made me disappear basically from the person I knew.
“But the next thing I knew I could not see, hear, eat, breathe, sleep – I couldn’t do anything.
“And yeah, there was no signs of me having a breakdown, there was no signs of – like if you’re having a heart attack, you’ll get the pains in your arm, you’ll get this… you know something’s about to happen even if it’s seconds before.
“I didn’t have the seconds, I just had the impact basically. The baseball bat round the face I call it. And yeah, I got very ill.”
Delving deeper into his dark emotional state at the time, he told how he had gone from being “so strong” to being the complete opposite.
He added: “I was so broken, like to the point where I physically couldn’t dress, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t do none of these things.
“I tried to, to end it a few times unsuccessfully – gratefully now.
“But I just remember going to sleep at night after doing nothing all day, living at my mums, frightened to leave the house, didn’t want anyone to see me – and I think that’s the fame side of stuff.
“I would pray that I wouldn’t wake up because then it wouldn’t be my fault. Does that make sense?
“Every morning I’d wake up and there’s that three seconds of forgetfulness where you think it’s a dream, or you don’t think it’s real and then you remember, and that’s it for the rest of the day.”
Earlier this year, the brave telly favourite opened up about the steps he used to overcome his problems and admitted he had to treat himself like a “toddler” and praise himself just for turning on the kettle and shower.
He said: “I couldn’t make my mum a cup of tea. I had the fear.
“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t listen to music and I couldn’t watch TV.
“What I look back on is little things. You need to look at yourself like a toddler.
“Going to the kitchen and pressing the button on the kettle is a step.
“The day that you go, ‘I’m just going to press the button — I’m not making the tea, let it boil, f*** it off’.
“The day you do that, that’s a little step.”
His dark times were initially believed to be down to the end of his six-year marriage, but Rylan now says it was also the combination of working non-stop for nine years.
He cheated on Dan “years ago” but decided to come clean in 2021, which caused the former police officer to walk out on their marriage.
While the pair did attempt to give their relationship another go, Dan ultimately left again after just two weeks.
Rylan said: “I think my marriage ending was the catalyst for the machine stopping.
“But actually, it was nine years of never stopping and never having time to breathe and actually understand what happened to me.
“For five months I just stopped and shut down. I tried to take my own life. I tried to do it twice.”
Rylan was 23, with bright blond hair, when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2012.
By 2013 he had won Celebrity Big Brother.
He went on to present The One Show, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, Supermarket Sweep and Ready Steady Cook.
Read more on how to talk to someone that might be suicidal here.
If you think someone is in immediate danger, call an ambulance on 999.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
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Rylan and husband Dan Neal split in 2021 after six yearsCredit: Alamy
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The telly favourite has previously spoken out about his specific coping mechanismsCredit: Splash
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Rylan told how he hit rock bottom after ‘working non-stop for nine years’Credit: Getty
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