Love Island star Mike Thalassitis's friends pay tribute after he is found ...

Childhood friends of Love Island star Mike Thalassitis blamed the pressure of his having to 'live as a character' for his death. 

Mike Thalassitis, 26, was found hanged in a park by his childhood home yesterday morning in Edmonton, North London. 

And today former class mates visited the park where they had played, and where the reality star took his own life, to pay tribute to their 'talented and comedial friend'. 

One friend's house is along the route Mr Thalassitis would have taken from his home to the park.

The 26-year-old said: 'Michael walked by my house to take his own life and I wish, I wish that he could have stopped at my door.

'He could have said anything, absolute anything, I would be there, I would do all that I could to help him.

'We used to come to this park as kids man, we played football here, we got mugged here.

'There are so many memories of Mike here, we used to run out to the flats there.

'We used to knock around and play football here and loads of other things.'

He described his childhood friend as 'not just a footballer, he had the brain matter to think of things and then carry it out'.

He said: 'I know Mike, he would have me in stitches laughing, he was comedial, he had so much talent. 

'Mike must have been lonely. A character, he had to play a character.' 

It has been suggested that Mike had been struggling with the death of his grandmother and had recently been dealing with debt. 

The reality TV star had moved in with the 94-year-old after her deteriorating health meant she needed a full time carer. 

He had also been suffering from the end of a football career when a re-occurring injury forced him to quit playing for Stevenage FC.

The end of his career led to the 26-year-old entering Love Island where he faced abuse for his treatment of the women in the reality show.

But his friends remember him as so much more than 'muggy' Mike.

Another childhood friend said: 'He was a talented footballer but he was out on an injury, I remember growing up his dad used to push him towards football in a really good way.

'His dad would get him up and say come on let's go let's get there early. His dad was a good guy and he had an amazing mum.

'Mike played for Stevenage and imagine your whole life you think this is what I'm going to do, you get to division two and the injury comes and it's over.

'It was bad, it was a reoccurring injury. You have dreams and ambitions and then it's gone.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'We were called to a park near Latymer Way, N9 at 09.28am on Saturday, March 16 to reports of a man found hanged.

'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found a man, aged in his 20s, deceased.

'At this early stage, the death is not being treated as suspicious.

'Police are in the process of informing the man's next of kin.

'A file will be prepared for the coroner.'

This morning former Love Island contestant Montana Brown said that Thalassitis had been 'in a dark place' recently, wishing she had done more to help. 

The Metropolitan Police confirmed this morning that the body of a man had been found at 9.28am on Saturday, with the circumstances around the death not considered to be suspicious. 

A spokesman said: 'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found a man, aged in his 20s, deceased. Police are in the process of informing the man's next of kin.'       

Mike's parents Andreas Thalassitis, 62, and Shirley Thalassitis, 61, were too upset to comment today at their semi detached home. 

While his mother's sister Laura Goldsmid, 60, said that everyone was 'in shock' following the tragic news.   

It was reported today that Mike had been dealing with huge debts in the months leading up to his tragic death after overextending himself with a party lifestyle.

A source told The Mirror: 'His party lifestyle came at a price and he wasn't earning a lot of cash after Love Island, especially as he became his nan's carer.'   

Thalassitis had also been due to open a restaurant in Essex called The Skillet with former professional footballer Scott Neilson, according to filings at Companies House.   

The reality TV star had been overseeing construction work to open his new business in a former bakery in the wealthy Essex town of Loughton.

Building work on the 1,613 square foot restaurant called The Skillet appeared to be at an advanced stage today.

A solitary bunch of flowers in memory of tragic Mike, 26, was seen on the doorstep of the business this morning. 

Former co-stars and friends of Mike have said that 'enough is enough' as they claim that they are left abandoned once they leave the reality show's villa, having to deal with instant fame alone.  

This morning, former Love Island contestant Montana Brown paid tribute to Thalassitis on Instagram saying she wished she had done more, and revealing he had turned to self-help books in recent months. 

She said: 'Now I know you were in a dark place a few months back and I thought you were past it and that you were on the up.

'I got you to buy (self-help book) The Magic, you wrote down your gratitudes, you had the pictures of your family in your car to remind you to be grateful for them.

'I just don't know how I didn't notice... I am absolutely heartbroken that I couldn't help you'.  

Brown also revealed details of their last phone call, in which Thalassitis congratulated her on a recent swimwear launch.   

And added: 'I've thought long and hard about what I want to say, I've woken up and unfortunately this wasn't just a nightmare so this is to you Mr Thala.

'Firstly, I'm so angry at you for doing this because you are so loved by so many people and I just wish you picked up the phone so we could've sorted this out. This didn't need to happen.

'Secondly, it annoys me that you were so misunderstood. 'Muggy Mike' was your stage name and let's face it, the ladies did fall at your feet BUT everyone had this impression of you and you were literally the opposite you were one of a kind.'    

After learning of the news of his death, former Love Island co-star Dom Lever slammed Love Island for its lack of support once contestants leave the villa. 

He said: 'You get a psychological evaluation before and after you go on the show but hands down once you are done on the show you don't get any support unless you're number one.' This followed a tweet where he expressed how shocked he was at the news. 

Malin Andersson, who lost her daughter earlier this year also hit out at the show and said she 'wouldn't have been able to cope' after the show if she didn't have a 'strong head on her'. 

She said: 'If I didn't have a strong head on me that my mum passed down to me, I wouldn't have been able to cope with this all. But not everyone is like this. PLEASE IF YOU FEEL ALONE, OR SAD, OR STUCK REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY! 

'Nothing when my mum died. Nothing when Sophie died. Change needs to happen.'  She also urged the show to 'wake up!' and said that enough was enough.

'I got flowers from the producers when my daughter died. No f****** phone call. No support, or help.'

Other famous faces, such as Bafta award-winning actress Sheridan Smith said Thalassitis' death should be a 'wake up call' and highlighted a need for change across the industry.

She said: 'This should be a massive wake up call, I feel sick, reach out, sometimes to the most confident friend. we can only learn & try to change'.

Mike - who rose to fame on season three of Love Island - was also preparing to open a restaurant in Essex. 

The former League One footballer, who comes from a Cypriot family,  enjoyed a successful playing career before becoming a beloved reality TV star.

He made an immediate impact after entering the famous ITV Villa in 2017 - where he was affectionately nicknamed Muggy Mike for being an instant hit with the ladies - as a late replacement. 

Mike had previously spoken out about the criticism he had received during his stint on Celebs Go Dating and said: 'It seems like people are out to get you a lot of the times people want to see you slip up constantly.' 

Kady McDermott, who also appeared on the show, and has recently been in the press for arguing with former TOWIE cast member Maria Fowler and highlighted that shows such as Love Island don't help the contestants after the show has ended.

She said: 'Hopefully going forward reality shows will help more with the aftermath of being on one, because I can say it definitely didn't happen after my series when lots of us needed it. Peoples lives change over night and no one can mentally be prepared for it. The good and

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