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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Love Island's Jacques O'Neill feared he would attack Adam Collard before quitting show

Love Island star Jacques O'Neill has opened up about his decision to leave the show, admitting he feared he would attack new boy Adam Collard.

The rugby player, 23, left the Spanish villa following a heated discussion between him and Paige Thorne after he clashed with Adam, 26.

As Adam entered the villa, he set his sights on the 24-year-old paramedic which caused a problem for her and Jacques, after Gemma Owen told him Adam had been " proper s****ing you off ".

Things then got emotional for Jacques as he made the tough decision to quit the show.

He has now spoken out about his choice and said the show "broke" him and left him feeling like things would "go horribly wrong" between him and Adam.

Jacques lost his temper in the villa (ITV)

Revealing he couldn't take a step back and "had to deal with every situation," Jacques said he was scared he would attack Adam but added producers tried to convince him to stay.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: "I thought if I don’t get myself out things could go horribly wrong and I could get physical.

"At home you can remove yourself from situations, but in there you had to deal with every situation."

Jacques said he removed his microphone and walked through the front doors because he "just wanted to get out of that place."

Jacques had an emotional exit from Love Island (REX/Shutterstock)

He added: "Producers tried coming to me, they were like, ‘Jacques, are you OK? I was saying, ‘I don’t want to speak to you or anyone. I want to be left to myself.’

"It was too much."

He claims ITV bosses tried to coax him back after offering him a welfare chat.

An ITV spokesperson told The Mirror Jacques was not coerced into staying and said they respected his decision to leave.

"As we said at the time, Jacques made the decision to leave and we respected that decision.

Paige and Adam are now coupled up together (ITV)

"Islanders are welcome to leave should they choose to do so and we would never put pressure on someone to stay in the Villa."

Jacques has admitted that appearing on the show was "the worst decision of my life" and left him feeling "ready to break down".

After he left the villa, Jacques was kept in a separate apartment with a security guard and two producers.

He says it was two days before he was given his phone back and allowed to speak to his mum Janet Wright.

Jacques flew back to the UK on Tuesday night and was met by his mum at the airport.

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