Big Brother and Dreamboys star opens up about mental health struggles

BIG BROTHER and Dreamboys star Lotan Carter has spoken out about his struggles with his mental ill health.

He told GB News: “Mental health always played a massive part in my whole life. A lot of the members of my family have always suffered with some kind of mental health issue and as I got older, I was around the age of 27, I went through a lot and I just broke.

“I was suicidal myself, I made a few attempts on my own life but fortunately none of them come to fruition. Obviously, I’m still here and I’m so, so thankful to have even gone through that and it’s very much shaped me. The bottom line today is I’d never take it back even if I could.”

Lotan was talking to Patrick Christys ahead of Patrick’s appearance with the Dreamboys next month to raise money for the charity Mind.

He continued: “I was always the life and soul of the party. It’s probably got something to do with in recent years I found out I’ve got ADHD as well.

“I spent years with anxiety and then ADHD on top of that trying to cover everything. I’ve become very good at lying to myself. And I kind of I got to the point where I ended up having to embrace the cactus if you will, embrace everything that was hurting me, what made me me, and kind of move forward from it.

“I really didn’t want to feel the pain that I was feeling anymore. And I was very, very fortunate. In fact, one of my cousin’s actually noticed there was something wrong with me.”

He added: “Even though I was very good at putting on a good show for everyone, he dragged me out the house and basically took me back to the gym and kind of re-built me over the coming months.

“I’m very, very fortunate. I did have someone to sort of open up to eventually, but you do close off.”

A JustGiving appeal has already raised over £36,000 ahead of the special Dreamboys performance with Patrick next month. More than £3,000 was raised during the episode as GB News viewers and listeners flocked to donate.