The Prodigy star nearly ‘reached that point’ himself after Keith Flint’s death

Five years ago, The Prodigy’s frontman Keith Flint took his own life at his home in Essex leaving his bandmates devastated.

He died aged 49, with founding member Liam Howlett confirming the news to fans in a heartfelt tribute to the ‘true pioneer, innovator and legend’.

In the years since, various members of the electronic group have shared the impact losing Flint had on them, with Maxim, 57, previously sharing how he burnt all his artwork in honour of his late friend.

Now, original keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill, 56, has revealed his own struggles with mental health and confessed he ‘reached that point’ too.

‘A lot of my friends have said, “Oh, I thought about killing myself” and, you know, I kind of reached that point once myself,’ Leeroy told The Guardian.

He expressed how the group, who he toured with for over a decade, still love Flint and are ‘heartbroken’ he is no longer around.

Leeroy continued: ‘I don’t think that anyone prepares men for middle age. When they get to their 40s or 50s and they’ve got families, people don’t explain to them about the pressures, about how everything will crumble if anything happens to them.’

The musician explained that the transition through your 50s can be incredibly hard, with many people looking to retire but finding themselves working extra jobs to keep up.

Fans have seen time and time again how this, along with the mass of pressure musicians are under, can put incredible strain on artists.

Leeroy added: ‘There’s the old English stereotype of the man being the rock and you don’t talk about your problems – but you have to communicate.’

He met Flint in 1989 at a rave, before also meeting Liam, 53, and going on to form The Prodigy with Maxim.

Leeroy, instantly recognisable at 6ft7 compared to Flint’s 5ft7, toured with the band from the 90s through to 2001 when he embarked on solo projects.

Throughout the years he remained in touch with his ‘best friends’ and is now releasing a memoir, Wildfire: My Ten Years Getting High in the Prodigy, on his time in the band.

After Flint’s death, Leeroy wrote a moving tribute on Instagram and said: ‘The first time I met Keith he was dressed hippy style in his classic sheepskin waistcoat. We met on the dance floor at the Essex barn. We rocked to a couple of tunes until smoke came off our feet, then introduced ourselves to each other.

‘He lived to ROCK, As a band we grew together from ravers to men. We experienced truly amazing times travelling and discovering the world and ourselves together.’

Leeroy described his friend as a ‘shining light’ with ‘infectious energy’ both on and off stage.

‘The laughter we shared together will last me a lifetime,’ he added. ‘However hard this time is when I think of my brother I smile harder.’

Two years ago, The Prodigy announced they would be returning to the stage and the studio for the first time without Flint, touring in 2023.

The band are also touring the UK in December, with new dates announced in Australia next February including a headlining performance at Snowbombing Festival.