'Home and Away' star Lincoln Lewis opens up about his depression

Former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis has revealed he 'felt broken' following a devastating and high-profile cat-fishing case which led to a woman committing suicide.

The 31-year-old Aussie actor spoke with Men's Health magazine about his dramatic weight loss and mental health battle after Melbourne woman Lydia Abdelmalek, 29, used Lincoln's profile to stalk and catfish seven people over four years.

Last year an old school friend of Lincoln's took her own life after Abdelmalek used the profile of Lewis to harras, taunt and trick her into a false relationship online.

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"For the first time in my life, I was saying to those closest to me that I felt like I was going through depression. Or to put it another way, I felt broken", Lincoln told Men's Health.

Speaking about how he fell into bad eating and exercise habits following the tragic events, Lewis - who is the son of rugby league legend Wally Lewis - told the publication: "You're feeling lethargic and looking for that next sugar rush or the next thing just to perk you up for the next hour."

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Ahh it's finally here!! @menshealthau - Out today! . Seeing this is such a surreal feeling & definitely something I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to take part in! . This is personally a big deal for me as I've never opened up so much let alone on a public platform. I'm usually someone to keep this kind of stuff quiet but this was such a beautiful opportunity that I'm so grateful for & if this can help encourage or motivate even 1 person then it's more than worth it for me. . For a decent amount of time I'd been stuck in a constant spiral that had left me pretty heavily broken. Something I never spoke about because I felt I never wanted to burden anyone around me but also because I thought "I'll be sweet, time will fix it". Something that wasn't right or healthy at all. It got to the point where mentally & emotionally most of the time I felt broken but always made sure to put a smile on every time I'd step outside. Keeping things to myself only made it worse which took away a big part of my natural happiness, my epic spark for life, my creativity when it came to my acting & lastly - eating like shit to try & make myself feel better, I'd physically I'd let myself go big time. . The last 3 months have been nothing short of life changing 😁 A chance opportunity to accept a complete transformation! Something that while physically the results may show its the mental and emotional side that I FEEL the best results! . Setting a massive goal, realigning my focus & completely changing my entire eating plan to keep the body and mind clear, clean & working properly. Something that would set the pace for what's been achieved . I'm truly thankful 2 absolute legends I'm lucky to now call good mates: Men's Health Editor @scottkhenderson & @jonocastanoacero who not only whipped my ass into shape but also made sure I was always focused, in a good mindset & always ready for a shitload of banter from someone on massive sugar & carb withdrawals 😝 I'd love it if you could grab this month's copy of Men's Health 🙌🏼 . Never forget- You're NEVER alone, there's always those that care & wanting what's best for you & it's NEVER weak to speak. Much love & have an awesome day 💙🤙

Lincoln later relieves how he became determined to turn himself (and his body) around, embarking on a strict diet and exercise regime under the watchful eye of celebrity trainer Jono Castano, who helped Lincoln go from 88kg to 75.5kgs in 12 weeks.

"I feel this experience has completely turned my life around," Lincoln gushed to the magazine.

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The Underbelly Razor star's interview comes just six weeks after Abdelmalek was found guilty of six counts of stalking.

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Lincoln adressed the scam back in April, wirting a lengthy 3-part statement on Twitter.

“Having your number, address, personal details illegally obtained & photos doctored was scary. Having them used to catfish people is sickening," Lewis began.

“But nothing can give back or make right what this sick person did and took away from the victims.

"For everyone, but especially for those with kids, know who you or they are talking to online. be absolutely sure of it! Social media can be great but also a scary place as there are sick twisted people out there. Be safe.

"I also want to take this time to thank the incredible police & detectives who have worked tirelessly on this case over the last 8 years. You see the worst actions in people yet never give up. You are amazing. Thank you."

If you, or someone you love needs support and information about suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

This article was originally published on WHO

Milly H

Milly is the Digital Content Editor for Entertainment. A devout tea and chocolate enthusiast, Milly is a lover of all things pop culture (with a little dash of politics).