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Celebs Go Dating pays tribute to former star Mike Thalassitis

Mike Thalassitis was on Celebs Go Dating with Sam Thompson (PA)
Mike Thalassitis was on Celebs Go Dating with Sam Thompson (PA)

Reality television series Celebs Go Dating dedicated its latest episode to late star Mike Thalassitis.

Sunday night’s show ended with an image of Thalassitis, following his death at the age of 26.

The words “In memory of Mike Thalassitis 1993 – 2019” were written underneath the picture.

Thalassitis was found dead on Saturday.

Police have said the death of the former Love Island contestant and semi-professional footballer is not being treated as suspicious.

Police and London Ambulance Service were called to a park close to Latymer Way, in Edmonton, north London, on Saturday.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called to a park near Latymer Way, N9, at 9.28am 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.”

Thalassitis found fame on the 2017 series of ITV’s Love Island, earning the nickname “Muggy Mike”, and was on E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2018.

Fellow Celebs Go Dating star Sam Thompson is among those who have paid tribute following his death.

Sharing a picture of Thalassitis on Instagram, Thompson said he hadn’t planned to post but wanted “everyone to know the kind of guy i saw in Mike”.

He said: “A person just died. A friend just died. Someone that i know in my heart of hearts i could have done more for. I met Mike on celebs go dating. I was told he was joining the show with me and my heart sank. I had heard all of the things said about this so called lothario. This cock sure arrogant guy, who was fresh out of love island and ready to steam roll this dating show that i was so terrified to join.

“I remember the first time i laid eyes upon him. i remember the words that came to my head… f*** me he’s a greek god. I had genuinely never seen a more perfect specimen of man. He looked like everything i WISHED i looked like. Needless to say an already pretty insecure Sam retreated straight into his shell. That was it. Game over. This Alpha Male had come over, and knocked me for 6.

“What happened next surprised me. He came over to me, handed me a drink, apologised for not saying hello earlier, told me he was terrified and said he couldn’t wait to hang out more. I stood there rather ashamed at how badly i had just judged a book by its cover.

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I wasn’t going to do a post. i don’t think for me anyway that social media is a place to grieve. It makes me sad that to the normal person in todays world, if you don’t do a post then you didn’t care. It makes me scared of where we as a society are heading, but i want everyone to know the kind of guy i saw in Mike. A person just died. A friend just died. Someone that i know in my heart of hearts i could have done more for. I met Mike on celebs go dating. I was told he was joining the show with me and my heart sank. I had heard all of the things said about this so called lothario. This cock sure arrogant guy, who was fresh out of love island and ready to steam roll this dating show that i was so terrified to join. I remember the first time i laid eyes upon him. i remember the words that came to my head…fuck me he’s a greek god. I had genuinely never seen a more perfect specimen of man. He looked like everything i WISHED i looked like. Needless to say an already pretty insecure Sam retreated straight into his shell. That was it. Game over. This Alpha Male had come over, and knocked me for 6. What happened next surprised me. He came over to me, handed me a drink, apologised for not saying hello earlier, told me he was terrified and said he couldn't wait to hang out more. I stood there rather ashamed at how badly i had just judged a book by its cover. Over the next few months, the shame only grew. This guy was one of the most polite gentlemen i had ever met. He had tom bowled over in a day (tom is a very good judge of character in my opinion), and had us in stitches of laughter when he would recount his love island stories. Not once was he crass about anything that happened, or bitter about how it all ended. What i did see that i believe he was trying to hide when he was telling stories of how ‘muggy mike’ was born, was sadness. From what i heard, he went into this show he knew practically nothing about, late, and into a pack of Alpha males who wanted nothing more than to win, and gain all the bonuses that that entailed. It wasn’t easy for Mike in that villa. From what i heard he got ostracised as soon as he went in, and apart from a select few people, was treated

A post shared by Sam Thompson (@samthompsonuk) on

Thompson said the “shame only grew” as time went by and he realised Thalassitis was “one of the most polite gentlemen i had ever met”.

“Not once was he crass about anything that happened, or bitter about how it all ended,” he said.

“What i did see that i believe he was trying to hide when he was telling stories of how ‘muggy mike’ was born, was sadness.

“From what i heard, he went into this show he knew practically nothing about, late, and into a pack of Alpha males who wanted nothing more than to win, and gain all the bonuses that that entailed. It wasn’t easy for Mike in that villa.”