I’m A Celebrity’s Giovanna Fletcher saved brother Mario Falcone’s life after suicide bid, Towie star reveals
I'M A Celebrity star Giovanna Fletcher's younger brother Mario Falcone has revealed she saved his life following a suicide attempt.
The former Towie star, 32, praised his big sister for helping to turn his life around, saying: "I owe her everything".
Mario previously attempted to take his own life by taking pills washed down with champagne after his messy split from former fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh.
Speaking to the , he explained: "People might not know this but Giovanna quite literally saved my life when I was at my lowest ebb.
"I was having a really difficult time eight years ago going through a very public break-up.
"I was getting a lot of hate on social media and felt really backed into a corner - like this was the only way out."
The following day, Mario was relived to have been sick and turned to Giovanna for support.
The reality star added: "Giovanna was amazing - unbelievable. It was clear she was very shocked and upset. But in a crisis, she goes into super organised mode.
"She knew exactly what I needed to do and where I needed to go. She fixed up four days of counselling with a Harley Street doctor in London at the start and ten further appointments over the weeks.
"That really turned things around for me. She encouraged me to talk to people and not keep things bottled up. That saved my life - without any doubt."
Earlier this month, Mario backed his big sister, 35, to win over viewers on I'm A Celebrity.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, the dad-of-one said: "I can see her winning. People love Giovanna because of how relatable she is as a mum, and she’s very real.
"There is so much to Giovanna that people haven’t seen that will make people love her even more. I think she’s got a very good chance of getting to the end.
"She is a very strong woman, there is not much that will faze her."
Most read in Celebrity
Mario has first-hand experience of his sister's toughness having joined her on a trek in Oman in 2017 to raise money for a breast cancer charity Coppafeel.
While Giovanna didn't know it at the time, the trip might have been the perfect preparation for her time on I'm A Celeb, as it featured a bug-eating game.
He added: "She was the team leader, and I was the team leader, and we had to do an eating challenge on the last night with gross insects, and she beat me."
Earlier this week, Giovanna also revealed she was once cut from Towie after being begged to appear on the show alongside Mario.