British reality TV star Jordan Wright has reportedly died at age 33.
Daily Mail reported that a man was uncovered face down in a drainage canal by a worker close to Bang Tao, Phuket, around 12:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 14. The man was later identified as Wright.
The Only Way Is Essex actor was reportedly wearing a gray T-shirt and black pants while barefoot. Authorities reportedly uncovered his iPhone 7 on a nearby bank, with his pockets containing a hotel key card for COCO Phuket Bangtao — which was allegedly a 20-minute walk from where he was found.
Police chief Sutthirak Chuthong of Choeng Thale district station told the outlet that Wright “never checked out” of his room on his planned departure date of Friday, March 13. The police chief noted that hotel staff had been trying to reach Wright.
Wright’s hotel room has since been searched, with authorities finding “no signs of forced entry or other irregularities.” Footage, however, showed Wright appearing “restless.”
“CCTV footage showed that he appeared restless and was moving back and forth in front of the hotel before leaving the area,” Chuthong said. “His movements eventually led to the location where his body was later discovered.”
Chuthong continued, “We are still waiting for the autopsy results from Vachira Phuket Hospital to determine whether drugs were present in his system.”
Wright is believed to have been dead for no more than two days before being found, Chuthong noted. “The case remains under investigation while we wait for the official autopsy results,” he said.
A cause of death has yet to be publicly released.
Wright rose to fame when he appeared on Ex On The Beach in 2017 and The Only Way Is Essex in 2018. Days before his death, Wright shared a series of photos and videos from Phuket, Thailand.
“I’m Home ????????,” he wrote in the March 6 Instagram post. “FT The best bath I’ve ever taken ????????#phuket #thailand #kotao #phiphi.”
Users have since taken to the comments section of his post to reflect on his death. “RIP Jord ❤️????️ you had the most infectious energy. Thank you for the laughs ????,” one user wrote, while another added, “Such a lovely person gone far too soon. Rest peacefully Jordan ????❤️????.”
A third noted, “Can’t believe what I’m hearing. Lots of fun times and good memories with you mate. Rest easy. ????️.”
