Alex Bowen starts a charity challenge as a tribute to his late best friend Joe

Alex Bowen has began a new challenge to raise money for men’s mental health and suicide prevention as a tribute to his late best friend Joe Richards.

The TV personality, 31, lost his friend last month to suicide, and has described the grieving process as ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through’.

Keeping his Instagram followers updated on the challenge, the former Love Island star announced the challenge on Wednesday, which will see him complete a series of physical challenges over the next few months,  building up to one large one in May.

‘It’s one the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through’: Alex Bowen detailed his struggle with grief on Wednesday while revealing he has started a charity challenge as a tribute to his late best friend Joe

Sharing a video detailing his new charity venture, Alex explained that he will be fundraising for money towards Birmingham Mind charity.

He said: ‘So I put it out on my socials recently that my best friend took his own life due to mental health reasons.

‘And over the past few weeks since it’s happened, me and my friends and all his family have been feeling, like I’ve never lost anyone before so I’ve been feeling all these emotions, like I’m up and then I’m down.

‘One day I feel like i’m OK and then I’m like: “Should I be OK?” and I don’t really know how to handle it. So, what I’m planning to do, me and my best friend TY are going to raise awareness through lots of challenges, just to raise as much money as we can and we’re all going to raise money and do it for Joe.’

Alex continued to explain that he will be doing a 24-hour-run around the West Midlands, where both he and Joe grew up.  

Tragic: Alex lost his friend Joe last month to suicide, and has described the grieving process as ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through’

‘So, to raise awareness, me and Ty are going to be putting ourselves through all these crazy challenge building up to one big challenge which I think is gonna be in May. 

‘Obviously I’m from the West Midlands, so I’m going to be doing a 24 hour run, non stop around Birmingham, West Brom, Tipton, Dudley, Wolverhampton, all the places where I grew up, Ty grew up and Joe grew up,’ he shared.

Concluding: ‘We’re gonna be doing this through a Just Giving page called ‘For Joe’ and all the proceeds are gonna go to Birmingham Mind Charity. 

Taking to the caption of the post, which featured a video of Alex walking and jogging outdoors, he penned that losing Joe was ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through’.

Bond: The video featured a collection of pictures of Alex and Joe from the years of their friendship

Outdoors: Alex spoke in a voiceover over a video of him walking and jogging outdoors

Continuing that he hasn’t ‘really known how to feel about it all’, the dad-of-one shared that he wanted to use his large platform to raise awereness about mens mental health and suicide. 

Alex has set a fundraising goal of £50,000, giving up until June 2023 to reach the target.

He shared the tragic news of Joe’s death to Instagram in early November, posting a carousel of snaps of them over the years as he dealt with the traumatic event.

Goal: Alex has set a fundraising goal of £50,000, giving up until June 2023 to reach the target

Awful: He shared the tragic news of Joe’s death to Instagram in early November, posting a carousel of snaps of them over the years as he dealt with the traumatic event

Alex welcomed son Abel, five months, in June 2022 with his wife and Love Island co-star Olivia Bowen and dubbed Joe his son’s ‘uncle STIG’.

Sharing the post, he wrote: ‘Dunno what I’m feeling right now but I know that you made my life better, been there for me since the day we met I can’t believe your not gonna see my son grow up but I’m gonna make sure he knows who his uncle STIG was.

The fitness coach continued: ‘I feel like I’ve lost a massive part of my life but I know I’m gonna celebrate your life every single day and your gonna live on in all of us.

 ‘I just know you’re resting with you’re nan up there right now and that’s all you wanted. I LOVE YOU BROTHER!’

Donate to Alex’s Just Giving Page, 4 Joe, at justgiving.com/fundraisin/alex-bowen3. 

Good times: Several pictures shows them looking dapper and larking about at Alex’s 2018 wedding to Olivia

Remembered: Alex welcomed son Abel, five months, in June 2022 with his wife and Love Island co-star Olivia Bowen and dubbed Joe his son’s ‘uncle STIG’

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