Former rugby player Jacques O’Neill has admitted he “hated himself” and has changed the course of his career after being perceived as the villain in Love Island season 8’s villain.
Love Island star Jacques O’Neill has turned his life around and begun a new career after leaving the showbiz world behind for something more fulfilling. The former rugby lad was regarded as season 8’s villain after his ‘toxic’ behaviour towards his partner Paige Thorne, causing backlash from fans of the ITV reality dating show.
But Jacques has found himself after hitting ‘rock bottom’ following his stint on Love Island, revealing that he’s discovered his true calling. The former bad boy is now a carer, who has formed a brotherly bond with a young man with disabilities.
He described his new career and credited the young men he works with with “saving” him. The influencer shared information on social media. “Everything only started to change when this boy, Denum, my best friend and little brother, who I love so much,” said the man.
Jacques, 26, now has access to multiple disabled clients, adding, “I started caring for these lads 4 times a week, and they gave me a reason to show up again.” They made a difference for me.
The actor opened up about his journey, sharing photos with fans in which he admitted to having a drinking problem and growing weight as a result. He declared, “I’m Jacques 26 and I’m resuming my life.” You never saw this section of my story.
Rugby has always been what I’ve known since I was a child. All I ever wanted to do was do it. Other than rugby, I had little else to care about. discipline . difficult to do. Respect . That was my entire masculinity identity.
I felt like I couldn’t take a break as my career just started to take shape, and each one injured me in a way that I didn’t realize at the time. I said “yes” when Love Island called, but for all the wrong reasons: I wasn’t mentally, emotionally, or mature; I was just a lost boy, so angry with the world.
Jacques went on: “But instead of working on myself, I got caught up in everything what came after the show, what I also wasn’t ready for, on Instagram it looked like I was living the dream, the car, the apartment. The travelling… hanging out with people who I thought I’d never even be in the same room as, working with brands that I wore since a kid it was all a bit crazy.
This wasn’t the real me; in fact, I felt more lost and empty than ever. I actually ended up despising myself that much that I had to drink to get through it week by week.
On another photo, Jacques can be seen drinking and looking worse off than he did on Love Island. Rock bottom continued, “Rock bottom was looking in the mirror without realizing who I was.” How did I become a professional athlete like this.
I embarrassed myself to be someone who couldn’t even take himself seriously anymore. I was aware that I had to change and that I couldn’t continue to live this way.
He continued, “From the moment I started caring for them lads, I rebuilt my body, my mind, and my standards.” I can now never lose myself again. I can endure.
“This is who I am right now. This chapter is for you if you’re also rebuilding yourself.
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Source: Mirror
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