Jacques O'Neill has reacted to Paige Thorne kissing Adam Collard. In an interview that aired on Love Island: Aftersun on Sunday, July 17, the former Islander said of his relationship with the Welsh paramedic: "We had a good connection and were really getting on. I did see things on the outside working between us but as I say, she’s doing what she needs to do."
Jacques sensationally quit the Love Island villa earlier in the week in a series of shocking moments. You can read more about this here. Jacques reminded Aftersun viewers that he had told Paige to "crack on" after breaking the news he would be leaving, as he had done in Casa Amor with Cheyanne Kerr.
Since exiting the show, Jacques has issued a lengthy statement in The Sun, calling the decision to take part, "the worst decision of his life". The 23-year-old rugby player, who has ADHD, touched on the ITV2 show's "horrific impact" on his family. His mum, Janet Wright, has said that, after the first couple of weeks of the show, she started to get "awful" messages. She said: "I started to get horrible private messages on Facebook, people were saying they wished my son and I were dead, it was awful."
Read more: Jacques O'Neill was 'scared' he wouldn't get back to his normal self if he stayed on Love Island
On Aftersun, both Jacques and host Laura Whitmore appeared emotional as they discussed his exit. He told her: ‘I needed to see the boys, my mum. It got way too much for me in there." He added: "I removed myself from a situation that I didn't want to be in no more."
Laura called Jacques' early exit, "a brave decision". She would not be alone in this sentiment, as several former Islanders rushed to social media to respond to Jacques' appearance on Aftersun.
Fellow Islander, Antigoni Buxton commented on Jacques' Instagram: "So proud of you."
Ikenna Ekwonna, who also appeared on this year's series, posted a heart, accompanied by a fingers crossed emoji.
Viewers of the popular show also reacted on social media. One person said: "I’m watching #Loveislandaftersun and you can tell Jacques was in pain, he looked like he wanted to cry sitting there. Hopefully he grows from this."
Another person wrote: "Concerned and confused as to why Jacques was on #LoveIslandAftersun - he literally looks so mentally ill/drained and on the verge of a breakdown. This week he said that #LoveIsland was the worst mistake of his life - tonight was like watching a car crash. Awful. Concerned."
Jacques' exit came after tensions rose in the villa when he learned that Adam had been talking about him behind his back after setting his sights on Paige. "If he wants to f**king go, I'll go, mate," Jacques was heard saying before pressing Paige for the details.
Jacques confessed he feared he would get physical with Adam if he didn't get out, in the interview with The Sun. He told the publication: "I thought if I don't get myself out things could go horribly wrong and I could get physical.
"At home you can remove yourself from situations, but in there you had to deal with every situation, and in that moment I took my microphone off, and walked straight through the front doors because I just wanted to get out of that place."
Jacques, who has revealed that producers attempted to make him stay, eventually told them: "This is more than a TV show to me, it was genuine feelings involved and my headspace wasn't right to be in a TV show. I dealt with stuff in there that I've never dealt with in my life." He has outlined that some of his anxieties more than likely stemmed from his ADHD.
ITV has issued a statement following Jacques' exit. It read: "We cannot comment on any individual's medical records owing to confidentiality and our own duty of care towards the Islanders, however we have rigorous and extensive checks in place to assess Islanders' physical and mental health in advance of being cleared to enter the Villa. This is something we take extremely seriously.
"As we said at the time, Jacques made the decision to leave and we respected that decision. Islanders are welcome to leave should they choose to do so and we would never put pressure on someone to stay in the Villa." For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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