June Sarpong cries as she talks about her brother's death on Loose Women

June Sarpong broke down in tears on Loose Women as she paid tribute to her brother Sam, who died after jumping from a bridge.

Returning to the ITV show on Thursday for the first time since the 40-year-old's death, June wiped away tears and was comforted by fellow panelists as she discussed his death.

Sam died after jumping off a bridge in America after police spent seven hours trying to talk him down last October.

Appearing alongside Andrea McLean, Linda Robson and Jane Moore, June said: "It's horrible, I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

"It's been such a tough time for my family and I. 2015 was the worst year of our lives, like the worst, nobody could ever have predicted this."

The 38-year-old said there were no warning signs from her brother and urged viewers to help end the stigma surrounding depression and suicide.

She said: "He wasn't on medication, he doesn't even drink. All we know that on the day it happened, something just took over his mind.

"So the Sammy that we knew was not that boy on the bridge, the person that jumped off the bridge was not the man that we had loved for over 40 years. It was a moment of mad...something just went off and he lost complete control over his mind."

Sam modelled for Tommy Hilfiger and acted in television series Bones.

June described him as "my favourite person in the world", adding: "He was such a kind human being who just loved people and who treated everybody the same and was the life and soul of the party and whenever you had a problem, he was the guy you turn to."

More than 2,000 people attended a memorial service to celebrate Sam's life.

Discussing the issue of male suicide, June said some men "don't feel confident enough to be weak".

“When you look at the stats, this is an epidemic, this is the number one killer of men under 35 and there’s such a stigma attached to it, we live in a society where men aren’t allowed to express their feelings," she said.

"For anybody even considering it, even having those thoughts, I beg you on behalf of the people you love, on behalf of your family, your family, the teacher whose favourite student you were, don’t do it, because that pain doesn’t go, that pain gets dumped on the people you love.

"Whereas if you seek help you can get over it and as long as you’re alive there’s always hope.”