Former TOWIE star Jordan Wright has been found dead after drowning in a drainage canal in Thailand.
The 33-year-old from Basildon, Essex – who previously dated Vicky Pattison – appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and MTV’s Ex On The Beach, before quitting reality TV to return to his job as a firefighter.
Jordan was reportedly axed from the ITV series in 2018 amid claims he was taking paid sick leave from the London Fire Brigade to film the show.
Police reported the body of a British man had been discovered in the stagnant water by a Burmese worker close to Bang Tao Beach, Phuket on Saturday afternoon, at around 12.30pm.
CCTV captured him running around erratically before his death. He was said to have been found lying face down in a water ditch, wearing a grey shirt and black trousers, but was barefoot.
Officials said the body appeared to have been there for some time but there did not seem to be any signs of physical assault.
His new iPhone 17 is thought to have been found on a nearby bank, while his pocket contained a hotel key card for Hotel COCO Phuket Bangtao, around a 20-minute walk away from where he was found.
Detectives said there were no signs of forced entry or disturbance at the hotel. Authorities are now awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
His former manager told Daily Mail that he was a ‘fun lad’ who ‘lit up any room with his smile’.
He said: ‘I’m a good judge of character and I knew Jordan was a great person from the moment I met him.
‘He was a very good looking lad, fun, with a great, wide smile. He tried TV for a bit but DJing was his real passion, that’s what he wanted to focus on.’
Tributes have poured in for former TOWIE star Jordan Wright after he was found drowned in a drainage canal after allegedly running around erratically in Thailand
One friend paid tribute to the former TOWIE star as ‘a really special soul’, adding that ‘so much success was coming’ before his sudden death aged 33
A Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities.’
Police chief Sutthirak Chuthong of Choeng Thale district 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.’
He added: ‘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.
‘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.
‘We are still waiting for the autopsy results from Vachira Phuket Hospital to determine whether drugs were present in his system.’
Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthirak Chuthong of the Choeng Thale Police Station said the Brit is believed to have been dead for no more than two days before being discovered.
He added: ‘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.
‘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.’
