TV presenter Rylan Clark recorded on video demanding “gear” on a night out and then said: “Delete that now or I will f****** kill you!”
The Strictly: It Takes Two host smiled and the slurred “threat” was clearly a joke, writes The Mirror.
But the footage will undoubtedly alarm fans, coming so soon after the 33-year-old spoke about needing help following personal issues.
Last year, it was revealed that Rylan had separated from his husband of six years Dan Neal, 42, and has admitted drinking more recently.
The former Big Brother's Bit On The Side presenter was filmed talking to a reveller outside a packed bar in London’s West End.
A camera phone video shows him exclaiming: “Give me the gear, give me the f****** gear and we’ll go.”
Then when he realises he is being recorded, he laughs and demands the footage be deleted – “or I’ll f****** kill you”. The star has previously insisted he never felt the need to do drugs – for which “gear” is typically a slang word. The footage, filmed this month, came weeks after Rylan admitted he had sought hospital treatment for problems after his marriage split.
A witness told the Sunday Mirror: “Rylan was pretty animated and it was clear he wanted to party.
“He was in the smoking area but he said he wanted to leave and have a wild night out. He wanted to get away from his team.”
In the 22-second clip, Rylan can be seen walking with a companion on a darkened street, wearing a black shirt and clutching his phone.
The footage starts with the former This Morning presenter shouting: “Give me the gear...”
He cries out when he realises he is being filmed, but smiles as he points at the camera and says: “No, no, no, delete that now, delete that now, or I’ll f****** kill you.”
There is then an exchange with the man as they stride down the street.
Rylan, said to be worth £4.5million, repeats: “No, I’ll f****** kill you.”
His companion laughs and tells him: “Anyway. You just said give me the gear. I’m not gonna...”
Rylan, shaking his head, echoes: “I’ll f****** kill you.” The guy says: “Come on, you’re with me”, only for Rylan to repeat: “No, I’ll f****** kill you, you know I will.”
Just five days ago, in an episode of his Ry-union podcast, the star was asked by celebrity guest Davina McCall if he had ever taken drugs.
Rylan responded: “I’ve never been in that place where I feel that I need to do something like that.
“I was in a boyband in Ibiza, so you can imagine the world that I was in living out there, [but] I never felt the need to do that. I’m a control freak.
“The thought of not being in control of something, even when I’ve had a drink. Lately I’ve gone out a few times and drunk more than I usually would, I’m quite honest about it.”
Two weeks ago, he said in an interview that he had suffered a breakdown and had eating problems in the wake of his divorce from Dan. Announcing the split in June, Rylan said he’d made “a number of mistakes”, which he regretted and had “inevitably led to the breakdown of our marriage”.
In the interview, Rylan said he had been treated after becoming dangerously thin and mentally unwell after the break-up. He said: “It got bad. Like, very bad. And I didn’t think it would get better. I needed help.”
Rylan – full name Ross Richard Clark – made it to the final five of The X Factor in 2012, despite being taunted as the supposed “joke act”. His dramatic reaction at being put through to the finals is legendary. He went on to win Celebrity Big Brother, then hosted its spin-off show, Bit On The Side.
Famed for his jet black hair and pearly white teeth, he joined This Morning in 2014, Radio 2 in 2018, has hosted revamped versions of Supermarket Sweep and Ready Steady Cook and stars in a number of TV ads.
From the moment he took to The X Factor stage in 2012, Rylan Clark captured Britain’s heart with his mile-wide smile.
It’s fair to say he was never destined for a platinum music career, but he soon became a jewel in the crown of British telly.
His easy charm and man-of-the-people character have made him one of the most in-demand names in showbusiness. So, naturally, many of us will have felt a pang of sadness for Rylan when it was announced his marriage was over.
And more so when he took time off from his presenting duties, lost weight and confided in his fans: “I needed help.”
He was brave to speak about his struggles and admit he has been drinking more than usual.
This video will no doubt worry his legions of followers, but it will not dull their affection for him.
We speak for the nation when we say: We love you Rylan – and hope that you get all the help that you need.
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