Mick Norcross: Former Towie star took his own life, inquest rules

Mick Norcross, 57, was found dead at his home in Essex on 21 January

Nightclub owner and The Only Way Is Essex star Mick Norcross took his own life, a coroner has ruled.

The businessman and father of Kirk Norcross, who also appeared in the ITV show, was found dead at his home in Bulphan at 15:15 GMT on 21 January.

The 57-year-old had financial concerns, Chelmsford Coroner's Court heard.

He had taken out a £3.6m bank loan and a bridging loan secured against his main residence.

Insp Neil Armstrong of Essex Police told the inquest that Mr Norcross had been involved in three property developments that were over schedule.

He said Mr Norcross may have faced "the loss of a lifetime's work and potentially the family home... and it appeared that was weighing heavily on him".

Mr Norcross owned the Sugar Hut, a Brentwood nightclub

Mr Norcross first appeared on Towie in 2011 as the owner of the Sugar Hut nightclub in Brentwood.

In a statement read by the coroner, his son Kirk said lockdown had changed him.

He said his father had started sleeping in the mornings.

"It was almost like he had a black cloud over his head," he said.

"He would make passing comments, 'this money is not worth this agg (aggravation), I'm better offing myself'.

"I never took this seriously - I thought he was just joking."

Mick Norcross's partner Samantha Keahey said in a statement that he sold a Range Rover, an Aston Martin and a van and cashed in his private pension early.

"Mick has always supported his family as long as I've known him and the thought of not being able to support his family frightened him," she said.

Essex's senior coroner Lincoln Brookes told the hearing: "He had been under a great deal of pressure and I accept the evidence of his family that he was a very proud man who saw himself as a provider."

The inquest concluded that Mr Norcross died by suicide.

The star posted a tweet to his 505,000 followers on the day he died, saying: "At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that's good enough."

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