BBC Traitors winner Harry Clark 'wanted to end it all at 21' after hitting rock bottom
Harry Clark, the winner of the second series of BBC's The Traitors has powerfully opened up about being "in the darkest place" two years ago and having thoughts of ending his own life. The 23 year old ex-Lance Corporal, who became a familiar face after securing the BBC game show in January, confessed to hitting "rock bottom" in a new interview with The Mirror.
Aimed at using his newfound fame as a platform, Harry has since revealed he's passionate about supporting young people struggling with mental health issues, and wants to use his newfound fame to help support others in need.
Since his £95,000 win, life has certainly been a whirlwind for Harry with the star having left the military life behind him, chased a TV career, shown up on Comic Relief, and even signed up with a showbiz agency! But despite his quick rise to stardom, Harry insists he'll remain level-headed after experiencing extreme lows.
Revealing his tough journey, Harry said: "At around 21, I went through a bad time. I was in the darkest place you could possibly be. I had feelings of wanting to end it all. I was quite an angry kid. But the Army moulded my characteristics and made me the man I am today."
Adding that facing his emotions head-on was crucial, he began giving himself space to feel anger and sadness. He set specific timeframes for processing his feelings before telling himself not to waste more time feeling angry or upset. Harry believes these dark periods have taught him to truly appreciate life, saying: "I had a realisation that time is the most important thing and I didn't want to waste it."
"In the Army, I was that guy people would talk to. All I want to do is help. It's a lonely world and it's easy to be blinded by mental health."
Harry has always found solace in fishing, a hobby he's cherished since childhood, and now he's collaborating with the Environment Agency on their Spring Fishing Licence campaign to highlight the therapeutic benefits of angling. Opening up about how the hobby helps to calm his mind, Harry explained that he found the relaxing activity an "escape from reality" while also highlighting how it also gave him room to talk.
In particular, Harry loves going on fishing trips with his best friend Harry Browne, with the duo even having had some "profound" conversations while out beside the water. He credits these heart-to-hearts for his belief in the power of speaking things into existence, as he now firmly believes in manifesting the things he wants in life.
Winning on TV felt like a dream come true for Harry, who described the experience as "mindblowing". Since his success, Harry has been propelled to stardom, with people now even stopping the popular star in the street to congratulate him on his success. However, even with fame at his fingertips, Harry is still keen to remain down to earth, with his end goal for his prize money still being a huge house to host his family every Christmas.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Samaritans in the UK and Ireland on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie.
