Love Island’s Mike Thalassitis has died aged 26

Love Island’s Mike Thalassitis has been found dead near his hometown today.

Reports have emerged that the 26-year-old ex-Love Islander had passed in a forest in his hometown in Essex.

Mike was on the third series of Love Island and a fan favourite. He was also a semi-pro footballer. Originally from Cyprus, he played for a range of teams including St Albans and Chelmsford and is currently signed to Welling United.

Fans have been expressing their tributes over social media as the news have emerged.

Tributes from celebrities that know Mike have poured in since the tragic news came to light:

Others took to Mike’s Instagram account to pay tribute, writing “Rest in peace” below his most recent posts.

There are also reports that he was grieving the recent passing of his grandmother. Dan Wooton, The Sun’s Executive Editor wrote: “She was 94 and he had moved in to live with her because she needed a full-time carer. He assured me he was fine and was excited about the launch of his shop. There was so much in store for his future that this is truly senseless.”

Mike was going through a tough break up with TOWIE star Megan McKenna.

We will update the story as we get more.