Candice Warner leads support after sad Mitchell Johnson moment

Candice Warner has led the support for Mitchell Johnson after the Australian cricket great revealed his battle with depression on SAS Australia.

Johnson broke down in tears after quitting the reality TV show on Tuesday night’s episode.

That came 24 hours after he opened up about his struggle since retirement and battle with depression.

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Johnson came undone when he and his fellow contestants had to carry a 100kg log over rough terrain to a designated finishing point.

The 38-year-old stopped several times before handing in his numbers to Chief Instructor Ant Middleton, quitting the competition.

Johnson was in tears during the challenge and then broke down while talking to his wife on the phone.

“I just couldn’t do it,” he told wife Jessica. “I just thought mentally it would be a bit easier.”

Viewers were left gutted by the devastating scenes, sending their support to Johnson on social media.

And among them were Warner, a fellow contestant on the show, and wife of Johnson’s former teammate David.

“@mitchjohnson398 is such an incredible human. Losing him from our team tonight was a huge blow,” Warner wrote.

“He showed us much strength, fight and courage throughout his time on the course and was always caring for others.

“When Mitch was playing cricket I had the privilege of touring with him and his beautiful family. You won’t meet a more dedicated athlete, husband and father.

“Be proud of what you have achieved Mitch. You are a national treasure!!”

Fellow contestant Merrick Watts was also among those to rally around Johnson.

“The closest I came to shedding tears on SAS was just now watching Mitchell Johnson,” Watts wrote on Twitter

“He is a great man. A strong team player with good ethics.

“That really changed me after that. He only made me stronger and for that I’m grateful to him.”

Mitchell Johnson’s battle with depression

On Monday night’s episode, Johnson opened up about his struggles.

“I’ve found it tougher since retiring from cricket. All of a sudden, you’re not doing as much. You sort of lose your purpose a little bit,” he said.

“I struggle with, probably, confidence at times. I’m in that transition now where I’ve been out of playing cricket for about two years.”

Johnson, who retired from professional cricket in 2018, said his battle with depression stems form before his playing days finished.

“I found out I’ve got depression … but I think the depression was something I’ve had even from a younger age,” he admitted.

“It (cricket) sort of blocked things out in a way. It sort of hid the depression, but there was a lot of times where you would go back to your room, you’re away from family and you start to dwell on things.

“Through my cricket career, I actually just dealt with it.

“It’s just about me now actually moving forward and taking it upon myself to be active with certain things, to keep my mind going.”

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