Traitors winner Harry Clark tells how key 'realisation' took him away from 'darkest hole'

From soldier to traitor and now reality star, Harry Clark has experienced a lot of life at the young age of 23.

The former Lance Corporal became a household name overnight after winning The Traitors season two earlier this year. Since cashing in the life-changing £95,000 prize, he's left his day job in the Armed Forces to pursue an entirely different career in the spotlight - but the fame hasn't gone to his head.

Admitting he hit 'rock bottom' a couple of years ago, Harry says he is incredibly grateful for every opportunity that comes his way and he vows to make the most of them all. Speaking to the Mirror, Harry revealed: "When I was around 21, I went through a bad time in life. I was in the darkest place you could ever possibly be. I had the feelings of wanting to end it all."

At the time, Harry was in the British Army and was struggling with his mental health. "I was quite an angry kid and very energetic. The Army moulded my characteristics and made me the man I am today," he explained. Despite his exterior strength, he hit a real low point mentally and couldn't see a way out.

The Traitors winner had to face his demons head on to find happiness again. "I was in a hole and then I had the realisation that nobody would save me but me. I began facing my emotions and learnt to give myself time to be angry and sad," Harry said.

Sharing his coping mechanism, Harry explained: "I started to set myself time limits to process my feelings. If I was annoyed at something, I would take time out to be alone and hit a boxing bag for half an hour. Afterwards, I'd tell myself that I couldn't waste any more time being angry or upset."

Reflecting back, Harry says it was a "blessing in disguise" as those dark moments taught him to "value life so much more". He said: "I had a realisation that time is the most important thing in this world and I didn't want to waste it."

Now, Harry is passionate about raising awareness of men's mental health and is an advocate for getting young people talking. On his Instagram Stories, he regularly encourages his 148,000 followers to slide into his DMs for a chat. "If there's any way I can help people with their mental health, I will," Harry said. "I always reply to messages."

He's swapped his combat trousers for smart suits on the red carpet, but Harry is still the person his mates go to if they need to open up. "When I was in the Army, I was that guy that people would talk to. All I want to do in this life is help people," he said.

"It's such a lonely world and it's easy to be blinded by mental health. Sometimes you can't see that there are so many people around who want to help. It's sad to see men struggle with their mental health and there's nothing to be scared of about opening up."

As well as taking his emotions out on a punching bag, Harry finds fishing useful to decompress. It's his favourite hobby and has been since he was young. "I enjoy the de-stress and relaxation and being able to escape from reality," Harry said. "When I go fishing, the only thing I'm thinking about is catching a fish. It's a breath of fresh air and an amazing time to talk."

Research from the Angling Trust found that 99 percent of anglers agree fishing boosts mental health and well-being and would recommend it as a way of easing stress. Harry, who is working with Environment Agency on their latest Spring Fishing Licence campaign, said: "You don't realise how much fishing can help relax you from everyday stresses until you're doing it."

Harry's best pal Harry Browne is his fishing buddy, and the pair of them have tackled some of life's deepest conversations together with a rod in hand. "My best friend Browne deals with his emotions by talking and offloading to me while fishing," Harry said. The duo even foresaw Harry's stint on television together.

"Talking has made me believe in manifestation. Before The Traitors, we would go fishing and I'd tell him that I was going to make it out of Slough and make my family money. I didn't know how I was going to do it - but now I have," Harry said.

From podcasting to signing with an agency, Harry has had a hectic life in the last four months, but he's still found time to go fishing with Browne and credits it for calming his mind. "I feel like my feet still haven't touched the ground. Last week was the first time I've been able to chill on my sofa since the final aired," Harry said.

"It's been a whirlwind and it's still going. I've never been more grateful and more appreciative of everyone who watched and wanted to see me doing more. It's given me a new career and opportunities that I couldn't even dream of."

Harry says he hadn't heard of The Traitors when he signed up for season two and thought he could go on the show and return to life as normal. "I thought I'd be able to go, win a bit of dosh for me and my family, then go back to work as if nothing had happened," he explained.

"The filming ended in September and I returned to the Army. When it aired, I was still working. Then people started recognising me in the street and I thought, 'This is kind of mad actually'. I was happy to go back to my old life so winning the £95,000 was mindblowing."

But what will Harry spend it on? "My end goal has always been the same - my dream is to have a big house where all my family can come for Christmas," he said. "I want enough room to fit everyone around one table, instead of splitting the adults and kids up."

If you are struggling and need support, contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 or visit their website.

To find out more information on when you need a fishing licence, and how to buy one, visit: www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence.