The topic of mental health in young people has been thrust into the spotlight again as it is revealed the young man from Take Me Out who died took his own life.
Charlie Watkins, 22, was filmed on the hit ITV show in March, but his family still gave permission for it to be screened at the weekend.
The show’s presenter Paddy McGuinness took to Twitter to break the news and tell Twitterverse that Saturday’s episode was in memory of the young man.
Tonight's Take Me Out is in memory of Charlie. A fantastic lad who I'm sure will be greatly missed by his wonderful friends & family. RIP pic.twitter.com/JPSPWMOfEX
— Paddy McGuinness (@PaddyMcGuinness) April 22, 2017
Charlie’s family said in a statement they had lost “a very special young man” who died having “never recovered from the tragic loss of his mother” when he was just nine-years-old.
It added: “Tragically, this is another example of the mental health issues suffered by young people as highlighted by the Heads Together campaign supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry,” reports The Sun.
Paddy, who usually live-tweets during each episode, took the admirable decision to post no further updates during the show as a mark of respect.
READ MORE: Sturgeon: People suffering from mental health are not alone - we are investing heavily to help them
A Thames spokesman said at the weekend: “It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the tragic news regarding Charlie.
“Our thoughts and best wishes go to his family and friends. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry launched their campaign in May 2016 to end stigma around mental health.
The Heads Together initiative sees them working in partnership with inspiring charities to change the national conversation on mental wellbeing.
READ MORE: Prince William and Lady GaGa star in mental health awareness video
Just last week, Prince William teamed up with pop superstar Lady Gaga to encourage people to open up about their feelings and bring an end to the “shame” of talking about mental health issues in a viral video.
If you or someone you know is having a difficult time, please don’t suffer alone. Visit this helpful NHS site for information on available help, or head to the Heads Together site for more useful information.
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