A social media influencer from Croydon has said he would break new lockdown rules if one were to be introduced.
Twitter star Benny James, 26, has slammed any plans for a national lockdown over fears it would damage people’s mental health.
Benny, who first gained fame for boasting of his sexual conquests with over 400 women, has since used his platform to raise awareness of men suffering with their mental health.
He told MyLondon: “If Boris introduces another lockdown honestly I don’t know how people are going to cope,.
“The last lockdown was bad enough for people that suffer with mental health and you can see that because the suicide rate has been higher than it was last year. More people have died from suicide in the past couple months than people dying from Covid-19.”
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This comes as London’s R rate is at 2.86 according to Imperial College London, the fastest growing than anywhere else in the country.
Boris Johnson is due to hold a press conference at 4pm today (Saturday, October 31), with many believing he will announce a second national lockdown.
(Image: Benny James)
But while Benny is adamant he will break the rules regarding going to the gym, he has said that he wouldn’t risk seeing family.
“I’m honestly breaking the rules if we go into another major lockdown,” Benny said. “I cannot be stuck in doors battling with my own mind.
“I need to exercise, I need the gym, I need the freedom, in order to keep my mind in a good place.”
He tweeted to his 112.1k followers this morning: “I swear if Boris introduces another major lockdown I’m breaking ever rule, fine me I don’t give a f****… my mental health is coming first.”
It prompted a fair bit of backlash, however many were in support.
(Image: Benny James)
“Putting people under house arrest for several months will be more damaging for our minds than the actual disease,” one said.
Benny believes that the nation’s mental health is being discarded by the government.
“It’s not like the government are putting anything into place to help people battling with mental health in these hard times are they?” he said. “They really don’t care.
“The waiting list for a councillor on the NHS was about six months before the lockdown, how do you think it is now? You ring the doctor up on the phone and all they wanna do is try send you out antidepressants as a easy option, they don’t have a clue how you’re actually feeling.
“To anyone that is suffering right now we all need to speak up and stick together it’s only gonna get harder by the looks of it. We got this.”
Benny can be found on Twitter as @beno_ldn where he advocates for mental health campaign #ImStillAMan.
What do you think about the prospect of another lockdown? Let us know in the comments below.
