Jeremy McConnell has admitted his career is "over".
The shamed Irish model – who spent five weeks in prison for assaulting former girlfriend Stephanie Davis – believes the best way to be a role model for his 13-month-old son Caben-Albi is to start afresh away from the spotlight, especially as job offers are currently few and far between.
Asked how to be a good role model, he said: "I think the best way to do it is get out of this game. I know my career is over on TV.
"No one is going to touch me with a 10ft barge pole. My name is tarnished and I accept that."
The 28-year-old star admitted his late parents would be "disgusted" in his behaviour and he is devastated that his father – who died of cancer in March 2017 – was "totally ashamed" of him when he passed away.
Speaking to Jeremy Kyle about his lowest point, he said: "My dad was a massive part of my football career, he wanted me to do what I was good at and that was playing football.
"He came in one day when I was still on a session and I used to get bad paranoia, really bad, accusing my friends of stabbing me in the back, you question everybody.
"He saw me in the bad surrounded by bottles of Jack Daniels, I was sitting looking at him and he was disgusted.
"It was worse because he didn’t say anything but you can see in someone’s eyes."
Asked if it killed him knowing he was in a bad way when he died, Jeremy – whose mother, brother and sister passed away within months of one another when he was a teenager – replied: "Yeah. It did. I think it was beyond the point of being embarrassed, I think he was totally ashamed of me.
"I think I got very very arrogant, I lost myself."
The former Mr. Ireland became a household name after taking part in ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2016 – where he met former ‘Hollyoaks’ actress Stephanie – but he insisted the show wasn’t to blame for his downfall.
He said: "I loved ‘Big Brother’, I met some fantastic people, it was my problem, ‘Big Brother’ didn’t change me, I got cocky, money was coming in."
Jeremy – who wasn’t paid for the interview – insisted he hasn’t taken drugs since he got out of prison, but he is still drinking alcohol.
He said: "I haven’t done drugs since prison, it was my birthday last night so I had a bottle of wine.
"I drank really heavily when I came out of prison."
Jeremy McConnell’s career over
