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 an explosive 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 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 sign 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 infinity 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 TOWIE star Jordan Wright. In his last Instagram post from March 6 – just days before he was found dead – he was relaxing in an infinity pool in Thailand

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 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 Alex Shafiq told the 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, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman told the 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

The chisel-jawed firefighter became a huge hit with TOWIE fans and appeared in 17 episodes 

Jordan (right) pictured with fellow TOWIE cast member Dean Ralph while filming the series

Jordan formerly dated MTV’s Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison

Jordan had also starred in MTV’s Ex On The Beach in 2017

‘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 Briton 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.’