Hollyoaks star Owen Warner has opened up about his personal experience with anxiety, saying it's something he deals with on a "daily basis".
Owen, who has played Romeo Nightingale on the Channel 4 soap since 2018, told Hello! that negative comments on social media can play a big part in contributing to his anxiety.
"You'll have 100 positive comments and one negative comment will be the one that you're lying in bed thinking about that will go around in your head," he explained.
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"You want to reply to [fans' comments] and show them that you appreciate them watching [your shows], but also, you then make yourself vulnerable to those negative comments, and it's whether you can put yourself in that position or not."
Owen continued: "Unfortunately, there's a lot of jealousy out there. There are a lot of people that want to niggle and put people down, and because of that it leads to people trying to impress each other, trying to get one up on each other, and people feeling like they can't show their most vulnerable self out there."
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When he's feeling particularly anxious, Owen said he'll sometimes go to the gym and do a workout, clear his head and meditate, or call a friend or family member.
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"Listen to what your body needs, whether you need to rest, need a distraction, or need to get a bit of fresh air," he added
"Just always feed your body and your mind with what you feel like and look after yourself. That's my routine."
As for what advice he'd give teens on social media who may be experiencing anxiety, he shared: "It's always easier said than done, but just put your phone down, turn it off and focus on what's around you because that virtual world is exactly that – it's virtual.
"It's not real. Hopefully you'll have a family, friends, a network around you, and it's just so much better."
Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.














