Why bottling up emotions is, erm, ludicrous

On World Mental Health Day 2017, CALM's new ambassador and star of Love Island, Chris Hughes, reveals the true story behind ‘L’Eau de Chris’ bottled water infused with his very own tears. Clue: it's as ludicrous as it sounds...

I'm launching my first ever product in partnership with @Topman

#LEauDeChris pic.twitter.com/LTnKVQtXzI

— Chris Hughes (@chrishughes_22) October 9, 2017

Just 24 hours after revealing he was about to launch a new bottled mineral water infused with his own tears, Love Island star Chris Hughes has revealed that ‘L’Eau de Chris’ was, in fact, ludicrous.

At an event hosted this morning to mark World Mental Health Day, Chris admitted that L’Eau de Chris and his shoot with world-renowned photographer, Rankin, was designed to symbolise the fact 84% of UK men say they bottle up their emotions, and to raise awareness for CALM, the male suicide prevention charity for which Chris is now an ambassador.

To mark his new ambassadorship, Chris is today joining forces with CALM and Topman to launch the #DontBottleItUp campaign to show it’s okay for men to open up rather than bottle it up.

Speaking at the launch event in Topman's central London HQ, Chris said:

“Yesterday everyone was shocked that I had literally bottled my emotions in a water bottle infused with my tears. And as the L’Eau de Chris name suggested, doing that would have been ludicrous; yet this is what men across the UK are doing every single day. What's really ludicrous is that suicide is still the single biggest killer of young men in the UK. We live in a culture that encourages men to ‘man up’ and bottle things up. I’ve got personal experience of the benefits of opening up and expressing emotion, which is why I want to work with this incredible charity in its mission to making life less miserable for men across the UK. Our message to all guys is: however, you open up, just #DontBottleItUp.”

The #DontBottleItUp campaign aims to highlight new research from CALM which shows how men across the UK often bottle up their emotions at the expense of their mental health.

CALM's new research shows:

• 84% of men in the UK say they bottle up their emotions
• Nearly half said they suppress their emotions often or at least once day
• Almost two in three (62%) 18-24 year olds saying they regularly hide their true feelings
• The most common reasons men cited for not opening up about their emotions were not wanting to worry anyone (43%) and preferring to sort it out themselves (49%)
• Men were also found to be much less likely than women to open up face-to-face (63% v. 72%), over the phone (16% v. 27%) or by text (17% v. 27%) about their feelings
• Many men are feeling the pressure to ‘man up’ and bottle up their emotions, despite the fact the majority of people (52%) feel comfortable when a man opens up and half of us say we’re glad that a man has opened up to us

(YouGov 2017)

Together, Chris, CALM and TOPMAN are calling on the UK to show its support for the campaign by sharing the #DontBottleItUp film on World Mental Health Day. The limited-edition promotional run of L'Eau de Chris water bottles created for Chris's campaign launch will now be auctioned at [insert auction platform URL], with all proceeds going to support the charity. Additionally, Topman has committed to donate £2 from every pack of boxers sold from 10^th – 31^st October to CALM, in support of the #DontBottleItUp campaign.

L'Eau de Chris? No, ludicrous. However you open up, just #DontBottleItUp. RT my campaign w/ @thecalmzone & @topman https://t.co/4tCEx76vY0 pic.twitter.com/8Vg4VXwNKo

— Chris Hughes (@chrishughes_22) October 10, 2017

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said:

“Both on and off screen, Chris has been widely praised for opening up about his emotions. As an Ambassador for CALM and the face of the #DontBottleItUp campaign, Chris will use his profile to help us to challenge a culture that prevents men from opening up and seeking help when they need it. With suicide continuing to be the single biggest killer of young men in the UK, it’s vital that we show that it’s okay to open up and ask for help.”

Jason Griffiths, Marketing Director of TOPMAN, said:

“Men’s mental health is a hugely important issue and it's ludicrous that so many British men find it so hard to talk about their feelings. As a brand with a unique connection to the nation's men, TOPMAN is proud to have worked with Chris in support of this initiative, as part of our long-standing partnership with CALM."

Four ways to support #DontBottleItUp | Get support now from CALM