Former The Only Way Is Essex star Jordan Wright was found dead in a drainage ditch in Thailand, an inquest heard today.
The 33-year-old, who also appeared on Ex On The Beach, was discovered by a local down an alley in Thalang District in Phuket on April 14.
Court co-ordinator Matthew Austin told the inquest that Wright had been ‘spending time in Thailand’ before his death.
His body was repatriated to Essex and a post-mortem examination was carried out at Basildon Hospital but the results of toxicology tests are not yet available.
Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes opened and adjourned the inquest until a substantive hearing on September 14.
He said: ‘I do offer his family, friends and loved ones my deepest condolences on this tragic loss of life.’
Wright, who starred in eight episodes of MTV’s Ex On The Beach in 2017 and 17 episodes of TOWIE the following year, was seen acting erratically in haunting footage shortly before his death.
He could be seen looking over his shoulder as he sprinted back to his hotel on the island of Phuket shortly before midnight on March 12.
The 33-year-old, who also appeared on Ex On The Beach , was discovered by a local down an alley in Thalang District in Phuket on April 14
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 erratically 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.’
The inquest heard Wright had been spending time in the country. He had posted a number of photos, including of him sipping wine in an infinity pool
The ex-TOWIE star posted photos of his beloved white Kawasaki motorcycle, which he had been riding around the island
Wright, who starred in eight episodes of MTV’s Ex On The Beach in 2017 and 17 episodes of TOWIE the following year, was seen acting erratically in haunting footage recorded shortly before his death
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EXCLUSIVE Last moments of Jordan Wright show panicked TOWIE star sprinting before being found dead in Thailand
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.
The reality TV star returned to his job as a firefighter complaining the experience had ‘left him unfulfilled, stagnant and lost’ and without a sense of purpose
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.
Wright eventually moved into a career in financial investment. His LinkedIn profile listed him as the director of London-based company Hampton Gate Wealth, a ’boutique introducer focusing on alternative fixed income strategies for qualified investors’
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.
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.
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.’
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said previously that officials were ‘supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities’.
