Love Island’s Jacques O’Neill was in good spirits as he took his mum Janet out for dinner on Saturday after it emerged he was ‘rushed to appear in spin-off’ Aftersun following his surprise exit from the villa.
The former rugby player, 23, was left bemused when former contestant Adam Collard, who has a reputation as a ladies’ man, was selected for the current series by ITV producers earlier this month, when Adam quickly began flirting with Jacques’ girlfriend, Paige Thorne.
As it emerged on Saturday that Jacques felt he had no choice but to agree to be interviewed by Love Island host Laura Whitmore on Aftersun, Jacques took to social media to give fans an update, thanking them for their support .
Back to normal: Love Island’s Jacques O’Neill was in good spirits as he took his mum Janet out for dinner on Saturday after it emerged he was ‘rushed to appear in the spin-off’ Aftersun
Grateful: Jacques took to social media to give an update to fans, thanking them for their support
Sharing a photo of himself with his arm around his mum on his Instagram page, he wrote: “Back to normal Saturday making R jan (sic) for tea.”
She dressed casually as she stood by her parents, with the athlete posting another photo after their meal outside the restaurant.
Jacques also took to Twitter to update fans on how he is now after admitting that taking part in Love Island was “the worst decision of my life”.
Controversy: ITV was embroiled in a war of words last night amid claims Jacques felt compelled to appear on its spin-off show to talk about his experience on the show.
She wrote: “I just want you all to know that I am in such a better place mentally.
“A big reason for this is because of all the love and support I have received!
“I would be in a much darker place if it wasn’t for all your words, so thanks again, I really appreciate it.”
Trouble: Jacques previously said he had ‘no more tears left to cry’ after his dramatic Love Island exit after seeing footage with his mum (pictured)
ITV was embroiled in a war of words last night amid claims Jacques felt forced to appear on its spin-off show to talk about his experience on the show.
Sources claimed the former contestant felt he had no choice but to agree to be interviewed by host Laura Whitmore on her Aftersun show because it was stipulated in his contract.
But friends believe her reluctance should have been clear to producers given her obvious distress over the circumstances in which she decided to leave the show.
Emotions running high: Jacques O’Neil, 23, was visibly distressed about his relationship with Paige Thorne (right) before leaving the Love Island villa
An informed source confirmed to the Mail on Sunday that the rugby league player was unhappy to appear on Aftersun after missing out when former contestant Adam Collard, who has a reputation as a womaniser, was selected by to the current series by ITV producers. Adam quickly began flirting with Jacques’ girlfriend, Paige Thorne.
In a newspaper interview after leaving the show’s villa, Jacques described taking part in Love Island as “the worst decision” of his life.
Rounding out ITV, which has been forced to fend off claims it does too little to support Love Island contestants’ mental health, the source said: “Jacques kept saying he wasn’t well enough mentally. It was quite obviously it was, especially when you read what he said after leaving the villa.
But last night ITV strongly rejected claims it was pressuring Jacques to appear on Aftersun.
They insisted he is “genuinely committed to making sure Islanders have a positive experience on the show” and that the producers “would respect an Islander’s decision if they didn’t want to be on and we would never force anyone to be on the show”. ‘.
ITV declined to comment on the contestants’ contractual obligations, but a spokesman said: “Aftersun is usually part of the itinerary for any Islander after they’ve left town.”
Mixing things up: Jacques was left baffled by the arrival of former contestant Adam, who set his sights on rugby player partner Paige Thorne, 24.
Not impressed: Jacques said he had reached breaking point after Adam’s arrival, telling The Sun: “I thought if I didn’t get out, things could go horribly wrong and I might get physical” (Adam was photographed on a date with Paige after Jacques’ exit)
Jacques previously said he had “no more tears left to cry” after his dramatic Love Island exit.
She admitted she broke down in tears when she saw him leave alongside her mother Janet.
She shared, “The first thing I did when I got home was watch the episode with my mom, the last episode. I said to my mom, ‘Listen, I’m out of tears.’ had moved me a lot.
“I literally put a brave face on my mom and looked at her and we were like ‘the office.’
Jacques also admitted to being overwhelmed by the situation in the town of Love Island.
Full Love Island Duty of Care Protocols
Pre-filming and filming
- Registered mental health professional throughout the series, from pre-filming to aftercare.
- Comprehensive pre-filming medical and psychological assessments, including assessments by an independent physician, a psychological consultant and reports from each islander’s GP to verify medical history.
- Prospective islanders must fully disclose any medical history that is relevant to their inclusion in the villa and the production’s ability to provide them with a suitable environment.
- Managing Cast Expectations: Detailed explanations, both verbal and written, of the implications, both positive and negative, of participating in the series are given to potential cast members throughout the casting process and reinforced within the contract so that be clear
- The cast are told that they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show and work through this decision-making process in consultation with their family and loved ones, to ensure they feel it is suitable for them.
- The senior team on the ground have received mental health first aid training.
- A wellness team dedicated exclusively to the islanders both during and after the show.
Aftercare
- Personalized training on dealing with social networks and advice on finances and adaptation to life at home.
- A minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each islander when they return home.
- Proactive contact with Islanders for a period of 14 months after the end of the series in which they appeared, with additional help where appropriate.
- We encourage Islanders to secure management to represent them after the show and manage them if they choose to participate in other television shows, advertising campaigns or other public appearance opportunities.
During her appearance on Aftersun, she confessed: “It was too much for me in there. I needed to see the kids and my mum.
Jacques – who has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) – previously admitted to having hit rock bottom during his stay in the town.
He shared, “I was ready to break.
“I felt so mentally exhausted – I just wanted to go home and get well.
‘It broke me and I was already broken. I cried my eyes out. I couldn’t cope.
“I literally felt horrible. It was the worst I’ve ever felt in my life.
Jacques even feared that the situation would become “physical” with Adam.
He said: “At home you can walk away from situations, but there you have to deal with every situation, and at that point I took the microphone off and walked straight through the front doors because I just wanted to get out of it. place
“The producers tried to come to me, they were like, “Jacques, are you okay?” I was like, “I don’t want to talk to you or anybody. I want to be left to myself.” It was too much.
TV appearance: Sources say Jacques felt pressured to appear on Aftersun with presenter Laura Whitmore after returning to the UK because it was in his contract