Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite has revealed he bought a rope last October intending to end his life, before a call from his husband brought him home.
The 37-year-old celebrity baker, who appeared on the BBC show in 2021, shared the confession in a series of images and captions marking Suicide Prevention Month. The post opened with a photograph of him standing on a hilltop with his arms raised, captioned: "It's suicide prevention month, and I want to tell you why I'm still here."
'I went into the woods'
Whaite wrote: "Last October, I bought a rope to end everything. I went into the woods. While I was there, my husband called and asked me to please come home."
Alongside an image of him kissing his husband Paul Atkins on the cheek, he continued: "I did. Then I told my sister, and she took the rope out of my car and put it in hers."
'The joy he found'
A following slide showing a photograph of his nephew read: "The next day my nephew found the rope and used it to make a swing. I still think about the joy he found in something I had carried on the darkest day of my life."
He added: "One call didn't fix everything but it got me home. Telling my sister got me through the next day and I'm grateful I stayed to see it."
Message to followers
Addressing his 315,000 followers, Whaite urged anyone considering suicide to say plainly: "I'm not safe on my own." He continued: "I'll never stop talking openly about suicide. Silence can make people feel completely alone, and if sharing my story helps even one person tell someone they're struggling, then that matters."
He added: "If you're thinking about ending your life, please tell someone very plainly. Ask them to stay with you. You deserve help through this moment."
In the UK, Samaritans can be reached day and night on 116 123, and CALM is available on 0800 58 58 58. Whaite also advised calling 999 in immediate danger.
Support from friends
The 2012 Great British Bake Off winner received an outpouring of support in the comments. One follower wrote: "The world absolutely needs you John, keep staying, thank you for sharing your story - it will truly help so many people who don't know where to turn right now."
ITV presenter Jayne Sharp commented: "Oh John, darling. Thank you for sharing. Sending you so much love, you beautiful human. I'm so happy you're here." BBC Radio 1's Zoe Ball wrote: "You stayed, John. And you are so loved. Brave and important to share your story. You will help so many more folk. Always love."
