Jordan Wright, a former star of The Only Way is Essex, has died aged 33 after his body was reportedly found in a drainage canal in Thailand.
The reality star appeared in 17 episodes of the ITV show in 2018, after making his TV debut on MTV’s Ex on the Beach the year before.
Wright stayed on the show for just one series before returning to his job as a firefighter.
According to reports, Wright’s body was found in stagnant water near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket on Saturday (14 March). Officials said that there were no signs of physical assault, with his phone found nearby.
In a statement, Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthirak Chuthong of the Choeng Thale Police Station said: “The guest was identified as Mr Jordan Wright, a British national, whom the hotel had been unable to contact. A search of the room revealed no signs of forced entry or other irregularities.
“Hotel records showed that he had checked in alone and was due to check out on March 13, but staff reported that he never checked out,” he added, according to The Daily Mail.
“CCTV footage showed that he appeared restless and was moving back and forth in front of the hotel before leaving the area. His movements eventually led to the location where his body was later discovered.”
He said that Wright was believed to have been dead for no more than two days before being found.
“The case remains under investigation while we wait for the official autopsy results. CCTV footage related to the incident is part of the case file and cannot be released at this stage,” he said.
“We cannot confirm the exact cause of death until the autopsy results are released. If relatives or friends have concerns about the cause of death, they can contact the police station.”
The Independent has contacted ITV, the Royal Thai Police and the Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
According to his Instagram, Wright appeared to be living in Thailand, having started posting from there in December.
His last post to Instagram was on March 6, with the ex-TV star sharing photos of himself enjoying life in the country with the caption: “I’m Home. FT The best bath I’ve ever taken #phuket #thailand #kotao #phiphi.”
His former Towie co-star Chloe Brockett took to the comments to pay tribute to him, writing: “Rest in peace Jordan,” alongside a heart emoji.
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