Megan McKenna has offered her condolences to the family of her ex-boyfriend Mike Thalassitis, following the shock news of his death at the age of 26.
Until their split last summer, Megan and Mike had been dating for seven months and in her post, the Celebs Go Dating star she she was “in complete shock and trying to come to terms with this”.
“I can’t believe I’m even writing this post,” her Instagram picture said. “My thoughts and prayers are with Mike’s family. Rest in peace Mike.”
In the caption underneath the post, Megan addressed the fact she’d been criticised for staying off social media since Mike’s death was publicly confirmed on Saturday evening.
“Why people think it’s okay to bully someone over not posting something to social media is beyond me,” she wrote. “You are allowed to take that time to process and grieve privately and no written rule that it has to be done on social media. Sending you so much love!”
Megan is starring on the current series of Celebs Go Dating (which Mike took part in shortly before they got together) and an episode that aired last month saw the TOWIE star in floods of tears over their break-up, explaining that she didn’t want to talk about in detail.
In the wake of Mike’s death, numerous Love Island stars paid tribute to him, with many also calling out the show for not offering adequate aftercare.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also commented on the matter, raising concerns over how “the sudden exposure to massive fame” can affect reality TV show contestants.
A Love Island spokesperson responded to the criticism on Monday morning, telling HuffPost UK that “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”.
They added: “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.”