AJ Pritchard didn't admit he was struggling after his girlfriend's horrific fireball accident.
AJ and Curtis Pritchard have opened up about mental health
The former 'Strictly Come Dancing' star's partner Abbie Quinnen set her hair and clothing alight after a stunt intended for social media went wrong, and she subsequently needed three skin grafts and 20 hospital visits.
Speaking to his brother Curtis for Zizzi's 'In Conversation With...' series as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, AJ said: "With the pandemic, I was isolating with Abbie and obviously the accident happened and it meant that we couldn't have people come into the house to help.
"For me, it was like, I couldn't that I wasn't feeling OK because it wasn't about me, it was about caring for somebody else and becoming a full-time career."
Once things got easier at home, he admitted he still tried to "just with with it" himself before finding a way to open up.
He added: "I was like, 'I'm a man, I'm not gonna ask for [help], everything's fine, I can keep going, I'll just deal with it in my own way'. But actually, trapping it down and holding it down is actually the worst possible thing.
"Having to talk to somebody about a situation that was a very traumatic situation was the only thing that released that burden."
And Curtis urged people to be open to therapy, noting that it doesn't mean "something's wrong".
He explained: "I always say we're like volcanoes. Whatever it is - happy emotions, sad emotions, loneliness - if you're pushing it down, there's only one way that's gonna go and it's gonna erupt out of you one day.
"Therapy's a great thing. People say, 'I'll never go to therapy because I feel like something's wrong'. No, you're learning about yourself and it's a great way to release and talk about things in a judgement-free zone."
AJ also reflected on the difficulties of life in the spotlight, particularly when it comes to being in a routine of working on - and then promoting - projects.
He added: "You tell yourself you're fine where sometimes you - no, I kind of need a day to sit down and talk to family, or do something that's silly or come to a restaurant I enjoy and just eat food and not think about anything."
The Zizzi series 'In Conversations With' includes three episodes and will be housed on both Zizzi’s and the Mental Health Foundation’s websites and social media channels
For more information and to seek support, please contact https://www.mentalhealthfoundation.net/
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