A STRICTLY Come Dancing star has bravely opened up on the troubling moment he attempted to take his own life.
The show alum was just 14 when he was severely impacted by after the trauma of witnessing a murder.
A Strictly Come Dancing star has bravely opened up on the moment he contemplated suicideCredit: PA
Tyler West was witness to a horror murder on his street in Sutton at the age of 14Credit: We Need To Talk Podcast
He told Paul Carrick Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast about how bottling up his feelings and emotions led to hisCredit: We Need To Talk Podcast
Tyler starred on Strictly’s 2022 seasonCredit: PA
, 29, who starred on ‘s 2022 season with professional , 36, told of his “pure working class” background in Sutton and being raised by his mum, alongside his brother.
He spoke openly to expert Paul Carrick Brunson, 51, about his childhood trauma after witnessing a man “stab and slash” another man to death on his road.
His mum, who worked as a nurse, rushed out to assist and bring towels to the scene following the violent, drug and booze-fuelled spat over cocaine, and Tyler recalled: “It didn’t feel real.
“It felt like something out of a horror movie.”
Tyler told how, after police were called out, he was inside the family home “on the sofa having a panic attack”.
He continued: “I don’t remember from seeing the man [murder victim] to laying on my sofa.
“It was the hardest moment of my life, without a doubt.
“And it changed my world forever.”
He added he had “no idea” of the “knock on effect” on his life and told anchor Paul how he didn’t leave his bedroom for two years since the attack.
He told how he couldn’t open his blind, and developed a habit of making his bed every morning to try to ward away danger.
He also couldn’t walk on the side of the street of the attack and had “all of this PTSD I couldn’t get rid of”.
Radio host Tyler, who admitted he took on the role of “protector”, said he blocked out talking about the horror.
He said: “That was probably the worst decision I ever made, not talking about it.”
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org , 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org , 116 123
Paul asked: “Why so?” as Tyler continued: “Because it built up a lot, a lot, a lot.
“It was sweeping it under the carpet until it was unavoidable and it all came out at once in so many ways to the point that I tried to kill myself.
“It was tough, it was really tough man.”
He told how one instance saw the “thoughts come over me like a cloud” in the middle of the night when he went for a walk in the early hours.
He said of the time: “I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I just felt so low.
“I just wanted to switch it off for a second.”
A car beeped to bring him to reality and he went home, and attempted to keep going.
He then admitted “My biggest strength comes in taking about things” and detailed how his thoughts now centre on “another day of dealing with it better”.
Tyler also confessed he had shared his feelings with fiancee Molly Rainford.
The following their stint on Celeb Race Across The World.
He told how witnessing the crime was ‘the hardest moment of my life’Credit: We Need To Talk Podcast
He told how he had confided in fiancee Molly Rainford about his feelingsCredit: PA 
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
