BBC Actor Hangs Himself During Lockdown Due To Lack Of Job

An actor who appeared in BBC crime drama Luther alongside Idris Elba hanged himself while out of work during the first Covid lockdown, an inquest has heard.

Luke Westlake, 26, had messaged his ex-girlfriend threatening to take his own life the night before he was found dead, a coroner heard today.

 After graduating from one of the UK’s top drama schools in 2017, the talented actor went on to appear in Luther and BBC dramas Doctors and No Offence. 

An inquest today heard that during the first national lockdown last year, the actor was stressed about being out of work and was suffering from a long distance relationship breakdown. 

Luke, from Aylesbury, Bucks., tried to take his own life in April and again in June, the assistant coroner heard. 

Just over a week after the first attempt in June, Luke messaged his ex-girlfriend, Hannah Llewelyn, threatening to kill himself - something that was “not uncommon,” the coroner heard. 

Tragically, the young actor was found dead the next morning on June 18. 

The cause of death was concluded as hanging following a post mortem examination, and a toxicologist discovered a substantial amount of THC in Luke’s body - indicating heavy cannabis use.