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Love Island ’s Dr Alex George has confirmed his younger brother has been laid to rest with a touching tribute.
On 24 July, the reality star announced on Instagram that his sibling Llŷr had died, explaining that he “lost [his] little brother to mental health ”.
Now, Dr George has shared another post on social media in which he revealed that Llŷr’s funeral took place on Monday.
Alongside a photo of himself posing with his arm around his younger brother in a park, Dr George wrote a touching caption in which he promised Llŷr he will live his dream of becoming a doctor.
“Yesterday I said goodbye to my little brother Llŷr. It was the hardest day of my life,” he wrote.
“Except it wasn’t goodbye. Llŷr, your dream was to become a doctor, you will live that dream. Every patient I see, we will do it together, you and I.”
Dr George continued: “Your favourite passion is cars, every time I am out driving, I know you will be there laughing and smiling with me.
“I love you so much Llŷr, you are always with me, my boy.”
Many of Dr George’s former Love Island co-stars shared messages of support on the post, including Samira Mighty who wrote: “Love you so much.”
Josh Denzel also passed on his condolences, commenting: “Condolences to you and the family. Remember the good times.”
Hayley Hughes added: “Thinking if you and your family Alex,” while Jamie Jewitt simply left a red heart emoji.
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Robert Pattinson Twilight star Robert Pattinson told The Telegraph he struggled with depression for a period of time. “'I had a bit of a struggle at first because my life really contracted and I couldn't do a lot of the stuff I used to be able to do." He advised aspiring Hollywood actors to "take care" of your mental health. "If you get as famous as quickly as I did, your personal growth stops suddenly.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Professor Green After his father took his own life in 2008, rapper Professor Green started speaking openly about his mental health problems and the pressure on men to be strong. “We have to figure out a way that men can talk to one another and figure out how to make themselves feel better,” he told theiNews . Although he is pleased to "start conversations" Green warns how becoming a mental health spokesperson can be high pressure. “It’s difficult because sometimes you’re having a great day, then someone comes up and tells you something absolutely horrific; I’m not a psychologist and it’s really hard."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jim Carrey Comedian and actor Jim Carrey told iNews that he had struggled with depression throughout his life. “At this point, I don’t have depression. I had that for years, but now, when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz has spoken openly about his bipolar disorder diagnosis and other mental health problems. He said that it took him to reach breaking point before asking for help. "My best piece of advice, more than anything, is that there's other people out there that feel [suicidal], or are feeling that right at that time," he said. "Maybe your favorite actor, or a guy in a band, or whoever, there are people who feel that exact same thing and have made it through that. I would say more than anything, you're not alone in it."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jon Hamm "I struggled with chronic depression," Mad Men star Jon Hamm told The Guardian in 2010. "I did do therapy and antidepressants for a brief period, which helped me." Hamm said medication helped change his "brain chemistry" enough so he could get out of bed. "I don't want to sleep until four in the afternoon. I want to get up and go do my shit and go to work," he says.
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Rob Delaney Catastrophe actor and comedian Rob Delaney, who lost his son Henry to brain cancer in January 2018, said he has long struggled with depression and encouraged others in the same position to seek help. "Asking for help is strong because it leads directly to staying alive," he says. "Not asking for help is as fear-based a decision as a human being can make and can lead you swiftly in a bad direction. It's not exaggerating to say that path can end in death."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dwayne Johnson has spoken on numerous occasions about mental health. On ITV's Lorraine Kelly he said: "Depression doesn't discriminate, and I thought that was an important part of the narrative if I was going to share a little bit of my story of the past. Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living or where you come from, it doesn't discriminate, we all kind of go through it. If I could share a little bit of it and if I could help somebody, I'm happy to do it."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Ryan Reynolds "I have anxiety, I've always had anxiety," the Deadpool actor told the New York Times in 2018. "Both in the lighthearted ‘I’m anxious about this’ kind of thing, and I’ve been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun.” Reynolds said he went through a period of partying to try and make himself "vanish" in some way and would frequently suffer with anxiety-related insomnia.
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Bruce Springsteen Bruce 'The Boss' Springsteen told Esquire magazine in 2018 that although he wouldn't describe himself as being mentally unwell, he has "come close enough" and takes medication to cope. "I’m on a variety of medications that keep me on an even keel; otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and the wheels can come off a little bit.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Prince Harry Prince Harry has been a vocal supporter of mental health campaigns like 'Time To Talk'. He also has spoken openly about his own problems following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He told The Telegraph : “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle." Harry said there was "huge merit" in talking about your issues and keeping quiet only makes things worse.
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Dr George also shared a Instagram story I which he thanked all of Llŷr’s friends and family for attending the funeral.
“Thank you so much to everyone who came to the funeral yesterday,” he wrote.
“It would have meant so much to Llŷr seeing so many of you, sharing your love for him. We will never forget.”
Following the death of his brother, the doctor said he was trying to “find strength” as he and his family were experiencing the “hardest” and “darkest” times.
“These are the hardest times I could ever have imagined,” he wrote.
“The kindness and love our family has received has been incredible and I am so grateful.”
Dr George continued: “In the darkest times we must pick ourselves up, find strength and be there for our family and friends. That is exactly what I will do.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org , or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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