Ryan Thomas reveals last message Jake Hall sent him week before his death in touching tribute
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@ryanthomas84
Former soap star Ryan Thomas has shared the last message he received from The Only Way Is Essex's Jake Hall, after his sudden death aged 35.
Thomas is among the many celebrities who have taken to social media to pay tribute to Hall, who was found dead last Wednesday (6 May) at a holiday villa in Mallorca.
The 41-year-old Coronation Street actor took to Instagram over the weekend (10 May) to share a black and white video montage compilation of Hall alongside a caption revealing the heartbreaking final message Hall sent him the week before his death.
The touching tribute began: "The moment I met Jake, I was in awe of him. I found myself gravitating towards him. He was always the coolest guy in the room, he had class, charisma, this magic about him that nobody else had. Anyone who met him, even once, remembered him forever.
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"I used to ring him nearly every day reminding him how special he was and how much happiness he brought people through his music, fashion and art. Everything he touched felt effortless, but really it was genius."
Thomas continued: "I remember asking him once who filmed those videos of you walking across the street. He laughed and said, 'I just ask random strangers and teach them to zoom in at the right time.' The video on his Insta of the hotel porter on his bed taking pictures of him in his new collection is what Jake’s all about he had a special gift & we were all drawn to him.
"It took a while for him to let me in, but once you were in, you were in. The deep chats, the hysterical laughs even the petty fallouts — We shared it all. We had the same morals, the same family values, and the same outlook on life: we genuinely wanted people around us to win.
"As I write this now I can hear him laughing saying, 'Shut up you silly c**t'."
The actor carried on: "For all the people that admired his talent, what mattered most to him was always his family. He idolised his dad, adored his mum, and loved his little brother more than words could ever explain. You just felt it every time he spoke about them.
"His next chapter is written in the stars now and it’s all about River. I promise she’ll grow up surrounded by love and stories about how inspiring & powerful her daddy is."
Thomas rounded off his post, sharing with his 1.3 million followers the final message he received from hall 'just last week'.
"You wrote this in a message to me just last week so im sending the same one back."
The message read: "I love you mate. More than you’ll ever know."
Hall also leaves behind the mother of his child, Misse Beqiri, with whom he had an on-and-off relationship from 2016.
The couple welcomed their daughter, River, in November 2017.
They got engaged in May 2018, but later that year, Jake was served with a restraining order in December.
In a statement to Tyla, Misse’s representatives shared: "At this time, Misse’s focus is on supporting and protecting their child as they come to terms with this devastating loss. The family are asking for privacy, compassion and respect while they grieve privately."