Love Island star Niall Aslam reveals he was flown on an 'unglamorous' private jet 'the size of a cupboard' from the villa to a psych ward after his mysterious disappearance in 2018
Former Love Island contestant Niall Aslam has spoken further about his departure from the series in 2018, amid his stress-induced psychosis.
Speaking to Marnie Simpson on the second series of her podcast Home Truths, the would-be reality star, 26, explained that the condition can make people 'actually jump off buildings', leading to the producers sending him to a hospital in the UK via private jet.
'I had gone in thinking: go in and be me! All guns blazing,' he recalled, three years later. 'Everyone loved it. People on it thought it was an act. I am genuinely like that, but they thought: when is he going to chill out?
Ordeal: Former Love Island contestant Niall Aslam has spoken further about his departure from the series in 2018, amid his stress-induced psychosis
'People probably thought: this kid's actually like this… we have a problem!'
He went on: 'I left after 9 days. I went into something called stress-induced psychosis. It's a very serious condition and you lose touch with what's real.
'People have thought they can fly and actually jump off buildings. They have to put you in a psych ward to keep you safe!
'The producers told me to come with them and they said "do you trust us, do you trust us?" Then the next thing I am going to a doctor not knowing why. And it was stressing me out thinking: what's going on?
Opening up: Speaking to Marnie Simpson on the second series of her podcast Home Truths, the would-be reality star, 26, explained that the condition can make people 'actually jump off buildings', leading to the producers sending him to a hospital in the UK via private jet
'They take me to a holding villa - some woman was having to call up to get medication from England to be sent over to Spain. They then took me on a private jet which sounds glamourous, but a private jet from Spain to England is like being in a cupboard, it's tiny.
'They take me to a psych ward. I don't know what's going on and you can't leave. I am in complete meltdown thinking all these crazy thoughts. It was traumatic I had to go to PTSD therapy after.
'I had to stay there for two weeks. I didn't get sectioned as they told me if I was a good patient then I wouldn't be. After two weeks I had to face the world and I still wasn't recovered with the Love Island stuff on top. So I am mentally ill and I have to go out in public with everyone asking "where's Niall?"'
He said: 'I had gone in thinking: go in and be me! All guns blazing. Everyone loved it. People on it thought it was an act. I am genuinely like that, but they thought: when is he going to chill out?'
Marnie recalled: 'It was a big thing at the time. That series - I remember it so well. You were the number one favourite and then you just disappeared. I remember that was more talked about than the show as people were so confused...'
'I couldn't do interviews as I was on so much medication at the time I couldn't get my words out,' Niall said. 'Love Island by itself was so stressful then you add becoming mentally ill on top of it.
'I couldn't physically get words out; not because I couldn't think of them - I couldn't get them out because of the side-effects!'
Trauma: 'I couldn't do interviews as I was on so much medication at the time I couldn't get my words out,' Niall said. 'Love Island by itself was so stressful then you add becoming mentally ill on top of it'
Marnie added: 'I'm shocked because I never would have thought that was the reason [you left] ever!
'When I watched you I thought you were bundle of energy and I didn't think there was anything wrong.'
Marnie's Home Truths is available on all podcast streaming platforms.
Out now: Marnie's Home Truths is available on all podcast streaming platforms
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