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.
He starred in eight episodes of Ex On The Beach in 2017 and 17 episodes of Towie in 2018. The chisel-jawed firefighter became a huge hit with fans for flirting with Courtney Green, as well as taking part in the show’s first-ever on-screen fight with her ex-boyfriend, Myles Barnett.
But he was later reportedly axed from the ITV series amid claims he was taking paid sick leave from the London Fire Brigade to film the show. He later quit reality TV altogether to return to his job as a firefighter.
Police said 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.
As the news broke, tributes from fellow reality stars, influencers, DJs and fitness enthusiasts who shared his passion for sports and music flooded his Instagram profile.
In recent years, Jordan – who was not related to his former TOWIE co-star Mark Wright – rejoined the fire service, but left to pursue a career in financial investment.
On his LinkedIn profile he was listed as the director of London-based company Hampton Gate Wealth, a ’boutique introducer focusing on alternative fixed income strategies for qualified investors’.
He appears to have spent several weeks in Thailand prior to his death, with social media referring to his ‘new life’ in the country amid videos showing him riding fast motorbikes, enjoying time on the beach and indulging in martial arts training.
A final post, dated March 6, showed a photograph of Jordan relaxing with a glass of wine in an affinity pool, alongside videos of him on boat trips, posing with a motorbike, scuba diving and eating local cuisine against the scenic landscape.
Tributes have poured in for former TOWIE star Jordan Wright after he was found dead in a drainage canal, with CCTV capturing him running around erratically before his death
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
Officers at the scene close close to Bang Tao Beach, Phuket on Saturday afternoon, where the body of Jordan Wright was recovered from a drainage ditch
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 Jordan 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, 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.’
Close friend and DJ Stuart Hart said: ‘Jordan was a really lovely boy, always happy and fun to be around, always supportive, whether it was coming to my gigs or DJing at my parties, he was always up for a good time. [He was] one of the good ones.’
Others close to Jordan left a stream of heartfelt tributes on his social media. One described him as ‘such a lovely person gone far too soon’, while another said he would be ‘sorely missed’.
Many said they were ‘shocked’ by the news, calling his death ‘absolutely heartbreaking’.
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.
He appears to have spent several weeks in Thailand prior to his death, with social media referring to his ‘new life’ in the country amid videos showing him riding fast motorbikes
‘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.’
