Kirk Norcross has vowed to return to TOWIE and 'make dad proud' following a complete change in his career.
The star used to be a regular on the show but left after the third series and started his own business.
However, he hasn't ruled out returning to the programme, saying he would go back so he can show the public the 'real' him.
The decision comes after Kirk's beloved dad Mick Norcross took his own life in January 2021 aged just 57.
Speaking on That Josh James Show, Kirk said: "I owe it to TOWIE and to my family to show who they have actually raised because what people have seen on TOWIE ain't the real Kirk. I wasn't acting but I just didn't know who I was back then."
READ MORE: Kirk Norcross saving lives after dad's tragic suicide and 'cry for help' first attempt
He added: "Now that I've lost my father, I would love to show the nation what my dad made. I live my life now every day thinking what would my dad want me to do?
"How would my dad want me to act? TOWIE don't owe me anything, but in a way I think they owe it to let me come on and show the real me. The day my father died everything changed. I became a man that day."
Since his dad's suicide, Kirk has become an ambassador for suicide charity Papyrus where he speaks to people who are struggling with dark and suicidal thoughts.
Kirk discovered Mick's body in January 2021 and since then said he helps '10 to 20 people a day' through the charity.
In an exclusive interview, Kirk said he experienced 'dark feelings' himself as he actually planned to take his own life while struggling to come to terms with the loss of his dad and turned to drugs and alcohol.
Kirk has said looking back, he has realised there were signs that his dad was struggling and that he had let out a 'cry for help' with a first suicide attempt two months before he died.
"It was clearly a cry for help which I sadly knew nothing about at the time. If I had known this, I would never have let my dad do what he did. I would have handcuffed myself to him and got everyone together and said: 'spiritually, lovingly and financially, I'll do anything for you dad'.
"It was obviously getting to him in hindsight but like so many didn’t want to talk about it. I started seeing signs that he wasn't himself in lockdown. Usually, even if he had nothing to do in a day he would get himself showered and put a nice jumper on just to watch the TV."
He added: "But he started wearing this grey tracksuit number and was moping around the house a bit. He was always so 'chest out and head high' bloke.
"I used to joke to him 'where has your chest gone man, pull yourself together.' It’s the way we’d talk to each other.
"I just put his move down to dealing with lockdown. He was a diabetic that was properly locked down for 12 weeks at the start of it. I guess what I’d say to others is always try to spot the signs even when you don’t suspect them."
*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk
