Friends of Jordan Wright say farewell as TOWIE star is laid to rest after he was found dead in Thailand drainage ditch

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:11, 24 April 2026 | Updated: 18:12, 24 April 2026 Friends of former The Only Way Is Essex star Jordan Wright say they will 'never forget' him as he was laid to rest weeks after being found dead in Thailand. The 33-year-old, who also appeared on Ex On The Beach, was discovered by a Burmese farmer lying face down in a drainage ditch in Thalang District, Phuket on March 14. His body was repatriated to his native Essex and a post-mortem examination was carried out at Basildon Hospital, with the results of toxicology tests not yet available. An inquest into his death opened earlier this week and has been adjourned until September 14.  On Friday morning, Jordan's loved ones paid tribute to him at a funeral service held inside a quaint 12th Century church in Stanford-le-Hope, before he was buried at a nearby location. Several floral tributes were laid around the site, with one in the shape of an anchor and another spelling out 'Jordan'.  After the service, a close friend described the occasion as 'a lovely send off'.  Posting on social media he said: 'Still can't believe you're not here bro, need your muggy laugh to cheer me up. Love you mate.  'Rest in absolute peace and have plenty a party up there. Will never forget you.' Friends of former TOWIE star Jordan Wright say they will 'never forget' him as he was finally laid to rest on Friday weeks after being found dead in Thailand Several floral tributes were laid in honour of the 33-year-old, with one in the shape of an anchor and another spelling out 'Jordan' Jordan's loved ones paid tribute to him at a funeral service on Friday morning Another wrote: 'He was such a lovely lad, still gutted about it,' while a third stated: 'RIP mate, you will be missed.'   At the inquest on Wednesday, it was heard that Wright had been 'spending time in Thailand' before his death. Wright, who starred in eight episodes of MTV's Ex On The Beach in 2017 and 17 episodes of TOWIE the following year, was also seen acting erratically in haunting footage shortly before his death.  CCTV showed him looking over his shoulder as he sprinted back to his hotel on the island of Phuket shortly before midnight on March 12. Police said the circumstances leading up to Wright's death are 'unclear' and it is possible 'other people were involved'. Officers are investigating whether he was running from another person as he frantically returned to the hotel where he was staying. In the CCTV, Wright could be seen grabbing onto a white Toyota pickup truck to steady himself as he rounded a corner. He then continued running erratically through the grounds of the four-star Hotel COCO Phuket Bangtao Beach, where rooms cost around £23 a night. Wright, who had arrived in Thailand in December on a digital nomad visa, was seen pacing back and forth before running out of the hotel grounds again and dashing across surrounding fields. He was found dead in a drainage canal on a construction site by a Burmese worker two days later. He was said to have been lying face down in stagnant water. There are no CCTV cameras in the area of wasteland where his body was discovered. Lieutenant Colonel Sutthirak Chuthong of Choeng Thale district station said: 'The circumstances leading up to the death are quite unclear. It is possible that other people were involved.' A source at the hotel said that Wright had been staying alone and had not had any guests. They added: 'He would go out at night like other guests. There was nothing unusual until we could not find him when he was due to check out.' Police officers said a worker from Myanmar who was harvesting vegetables discovered Wright's body and alerted officials. His new iPhone 17 is thought to have been found on a nearby bank, while his pocket contained a hotel key card for Hotel COCO Phuket Bangtao. Officers later found Wright's beloved white Kawasaki motorcycle parked at the hotel, which he had been riding around the island. Hotel staff told police he was due to check out on March 13 but they had been unable to reach him. Hotel COCO Phuket Bangtao Beach is rated four stars according to Booking.com and offers 'spacious rooms with private balconies, and modern amenities'. It describes itself as 'perfect for romantic getaways' and is located around a five to ten minute walk from a white sandy beach. There is a large outdoor pool, range of wellness facilities and a hot tub. Lieutenant Colonel Thongchai Matitham added: 'Hotel records showed that he had checked in alone and was due to check out on March 13 but staff reported that he never checked out. 'CCTV footage showed that he appeared restless and was moving back and forth in front of the hotel before leaving the area. 'His movements eventually led to the location where his body was later discovered. 'We are still waiting for the autopsy results from Vachira Phuket Hospital to determine whether drugs were present in his system. The case remains under investigation.' Chisel-jawed firefighter Wright, of Basildon, became a huge hit with fans for flirting with Courtney Green, as well as taking part in an explosive on-screen fight with her ex-boyfriend, Myles Barnett. But he was later reportedly axed from the ITV series amid claims he was taking paid sick leave from the London Fire Brigade to film the show. He later quit reality TV altogether to return to his job as a firefighter. A 2023 Instagram post shared by the star reemerged after his death, in which he spoke about how reality TV had 'left him unfulfilled, stagnant and lost' and without a sense of purpose. The ex-TOWIE star posted photos of his beloved white Kawasaki motorcycle, which he had been riding around the island before his sudden death Wright, who starred in eight episodes of MTV's Ex On The Beach and 17 episodes of TOWIE, was seen acting erratically in haunting CCTV footage before his death In the post, he reflected on his time in the London Fire Brigade.  Alongside a trio of images showing him starting in his firefighter role, he wrote the emotional caption: 'An incredibly emotional day for me today to say the least. This was me at 19 years old when I first joined the fire brigade... 'I had [an] enjoyable career for six years before I resigned to pursue a life in the limelight of reality tv. A choice that left me hugely unfulfilled, stagnant & lost... 'People think it's glitz & glamour but the truth is very far from public perception, I really struggled. When I left I lost a huge part of myself and my sense of purpose. 'Those of you close to me understand just how much I've struggled to find direction... 'I appreciate every single one of you that has walked the twisty path of uncertainty you will never understand just how much your support meant. You mean the absolute world to me. Redemption is a road that we all walk at some stage in our lives.' Wright rejoined the fire service as part of his 'redemption arc' but later left to pursue a career in financial investment. On his LinkedIn profile he was listed as the director of London-based company Hampton Gate Wealth, a 'boutique introducer focusing on alternative fixed income strategies for qualified investors'. He appears to have spent several weeks in Thailand prior to his death, with social media referring to his 'new life' in the country and videos showing him riding fast motorbikes, enjoying time on the beach and indulging in martial arts training. An inquest into Wright's death was opened this week and adjourned until September pending the results of toxicology reports A final post, dated March 6, showed a photograph of him relaxing with a glass of wine in an infinity pool, alongside videos on boat trips, posing with a motorbike, scuba diving and eating local cuisine against the scenic landscape. Tributes flooded in from fellow reality stars and friends after Wright's death was announced by Thai officials. His former manager Alex Shafiq told the Daily Mail that Wright was a 'fun lad' who 'lit up any room with his smile'. He said: 'I'm a good judge of character and I knew Wright was a great person from the moment I met him. 'He was a very good looking lad, with a great, wide smile. He tried TV for a bit but DJing was his real passion, that's what he wanted to focus on.' Close friend and DJ Stuart Hart said: 'Wright was a really lovely boy, always happy and fun to be around, always supportive, whether it was coming to my gigs or DJing at my parties, he was always up for a good time. [He was] one of the good ones.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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