Megan McKenna pulled out of an appearance on Loose Women on Tuesday, following the death of her ex-boyfriend Mike Thalassitis.
The day before, Megan said she was in “complete shock” to have learned that Mike, with whom she split up last summer, had died at the age of 26.
While she had initially been due to appear on Loose Women to discuss the current series of Celebs Go Dating, on which she is one of the famous contestants, anchor Ruth Langsford confirmed that Megan had ultimately decided against the interview.
Her Celebs Go Dating co-star Pete Wicks – who is also one of Megan’s exes – appeared on the show without her.
Ruth said: ”Megan was going to be with you – we had trailed that – because you’re both on Celebs Go Dating, but obviously Mike was a boyfriend of hers and clearly she’s very upset.”
Megan had written on Instagram a day earlier: “Sorry I haven’t been on social media but I’m in complete shock and trying to come to terms with this.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Mike’s family. Rest in peace Mike.”
Mike Thalassitis, best known for his time on the third series of Love Island, was confirmed to have died over the weekend, having been found dead in a park near his home on Saturday morning.
His death led to a conversation among many of his former co-stars about the need for more aftercare for Love Island contestants, prompting a response from a spokesperson for the show.
They told HuffPost 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.
“We also discuss at length with all of our Islanders, before and after the show, how their lives might change and they have access to support and advice to help with this.”
