Hollyoaks star Owen Warner has been in the spotlight for more than five years since landing the role of Romeo Nightingale.
The actor, 24, joined the cast if the Channel 4 soap in 2018 and recently, became involved in one of the soap’s biggest storylines this year – Who Killed Rayne Royce? The influencer, played by Owen’s real-life girlfriend Jemma Donovan, was murdered in September and boyfriend Romeo was at the top of the list of suspects.
But during Wednesday’s episode (November 1), Romeo’s name was finally cleared after he revealed a shocking secret, confessing he was sleeping with Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell) at the time of Rayne’s death. Romeo’s life since arriving in Hollyoaks village has been far from easy, but the same can be said for actor Owen, who has been open about his mental health struggles in recent years.
READ MORE: E4 Hollyoaks’ Rayne ‘still alive’ as fans ‘work out’ explosive Christmas return twist
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To raise awareness for World Mental Health Day on October 10, Owen joined close pal Jill Scott in Zizzi’s In Conversations With series, who partnered with the Mental Health Foundation. Speaking to Hello!, the I’m A Celeb star candidly discussed his battle with anxiety as well as the affect negative comments can have on him.
(Image: Lime Pictures)
Touching upon the subject, Owen told the publication: “It’s something that I and lots of my friends and family have been affected by, and it’s something that we all deal with on a daily basis. So, to be part of a campaign that’s bringing awareness to it is quite special.” He added: “With social media, you always feel like you’ve got to be a certain person and put certain things out there, but some people feel too vulnerable to share a side [to themselves].
“So, it leads you to take a step back. That can be quite a dominant thing.” Owen explained that stress and anxiety come with different aspects of his life, however, his supportive network means he can always turn to someone for help.
(Image: PA)
Discussing the toll social media can take on mental health, Owen explained people often want to put others down and it prevents them from showing their “most vulnerable” self online. The soap star confessed he is on a “constant break” from social media, admitting it’s easy to “lose sight” of the real world when constantly posting.
While Owen recognises that social media is the perfect place to interact with fans, he noted that it opens celebrities up to negative comments. “You’ll have 100 positive comments and one negative comment will be the one that you’re lying in bed thinking about that will go around in your head,” he said.
(Image: Getty Images)
“You want to reply to them and show them that you appreciate them watching [your shows], but also, you then make yourself vulnerable to those negative comments, and it’s whether you can put yourself in that position or not.” Last year Owen’s I’m A Celeb co-star Jill was crowned Queen of the Jungle while the actor finished in second place.
The two struck up a close friendship in the jungle and Owen explained that the former England Lioness helps him with everything, including his mental health. “Yeah, Jill helps me with everything. She’s like my big sister,” Owen said.
(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“She’s only about 20 minutes down the road from me. It’s so nice, I can just nip around and see her. I would have been going crazy in [the jungle] if it wasn’t for Jill. Everyone had good fun and a good laugh together but me and Jill could be immature together.”
He went on: “It felt like we were little kids in this whole camp full of adults. It was nice to have that escape with her.” In the jungle, Owen touched upon attending therapy during a conversation with Seann Walsh.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
When Seann, 37, opened up about his struggles with anxiety, Owen agreed it was good to talk about his feelings to a professional, adding: “It’s good though, doing therapy. Like I always say to my mates, I fully recommend it even if you think you’re sound. Like it’s so so good to sit with someone, vent.
“Really helps you sort your head out. And figure out what’s going on and why it’s going on.” Later speaking in the Bush Telegraph, Owen said: “Something about being in here has really taught me is it’s like, wear your heart on your sleeve because someone is most likely feeling the same. And that’s like something I will take with me forever, now I usually keep my feelings close to my chest, but if you just talk about them most of the time, someone can relate to you.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
