Grace DaviesEuphoria Season 3 premiered on HBO on 12 April 2026, with Jacob Elordi reprising his role as Nate Jacobs alongside Zendaya — and this week the Australian actor also graces the cover of Esquire UK's spring issue, labelled "The World's Most Wanted Man." Behind the industry praise, however, experts in mental health are noting a pattern they see again and again with rapidly ascending stars.
The Scale of Jacob Elordi's Rise
In the space of four years, Elordi moved from Netflix rom-coms to two of the most-discussed cultural events of the decade. His performance in Saltburn (2023) made him a tabloid fixture overnight. Euphoria's return after a four-year hiatus has brought renewed intense scrutiny — every interview, every photograph, every social media mention analysed in real time by tens of millions of fans.
Elordi has spoken publicly about the disorientation of sudden fame, describing the experience as "strange and disorientating" in multiple interviews. He has also acknowledged periods of detachment — a psychological response that mental health professionals recognise as a common early warning sign.
The Euphoria show itself deals explicitly with these themes. Season 3 opens five years after the events of Season 2, with characters in their mid-twenties who are older but not necessarily wiser — trapped in versions of the same destructive patterns despite the passage of time. That narrative mirrors what clinicians describe in young adults who achieve early success without adequate support structures.
What Rapid Fame Actually Does to the Brain
Mental health professionals describe what happens to people who experience sudden fame as a genuine psychological disruption — not simply "pressure" in the colloquial sense. The mechanisms are well-documented.
Identity destabilisation is the most common presentation. People who become famous quickly often report that their sense of who they are becomes fragmented — their public image grows into something separate from their private self, and maintaining both simultaneously becomes exhausting. This is compounded for actors who inhabit complex characters: the boundary between self and role can erode.
Hypervigilance is another consistent feature. Constant media attention triggers the same neurological threat-response systems as physical danger. Over time, this sustained low-level stress state contributes to anxiety disorders, sleep disruption, and difficulty maintaining personal relationships.
The social comparison environment of celebrity is also different in kind from everyday experience. Research published through the NHS mental health framework — detailed on the NHS website — identifies persistent negative social comparison as a significant driver of anxiety and low mood.
The British Journal of Psychiatry has noted a higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders among individuals in high-visibility creative industries compared to the general population, partly attributed to irregular working patterns, performance pressure, and the erosion of private life that comes with public scrutiny.
The Warning Signs That Indicate Someone Needs Support
For anyone experiencing intense workplace pressure — whether in entertainment, professional sport, corporate environments, or any high-stakes field — several warning signs indicate that speaking to a mental health professional has become genuinely necessary rather than merely optional.
Persistent difficulty switching off is the first marker. If someone cannot return to a baseline calm state during time off, the nervous system is in chronic activation. This is not simply feeling tired — it is an inability to feel safe in relaxed states.
Emotional numbness or detachment is the second. Feeling disconnected from activities or people that previously brought enjoyment — a state clinicians call anhedonia — is a significant symptom that should not be dismissed as ordinary tiredness.
Social withdrawal, changes in sleep patterns, increased use of alcohol or substances to manage anxiety, and difficulty concentrating on tasks that were previously manageable are all indicators that warrant professional assessment rather than self-management.
What a Mental Health Specialist Can Actually Do
The UK has a well-established pathway for adults experiencing occupational or high-performance pressure-related mental health difficulties. A GP referral can access NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) services, which offer cognitive behavioural therapy and other evidence-based interventions. Private practitioners are also available for faster access.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for anxiety and stress-related presentations. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown particular effectiveness for people in high-performance contexts, helping to separate self-worth from achievement and manage the identity challenges that rapid success creates.
For young adults in particular, early intervention is significantly more effective than waiting until symptoms become severe. A doctor or mental health specialist can conduct a proper assessment, rule out physiological causes of symptoms, and recommend the most appropriate course of support.
Why This Matters Beyond Celebrity
The reason Euphoria resonates with millions of young British viewers is not because they are all pursuing careers in Hollywood. It is because the themes — identity confusion, self-medication, the gap between how you appear and how you feel — are universal.
If you recognise the patterns described in this article in yourself or someone close to you, the right step is to speak with a GP in the first instance. They can assess whether a referral to a mental health specialist, a talking therapy service, or another form of support is the most appropriate next step. Seeking help early, before symptoms become entrenched, consistently produces better outcomes than waiting.
Celebrity culture creates an illusion that intensity and high pressure are signs of a life well lived. What Jacob Elordi's experience — and the fictional lives on screen in Euphoria — actually illustrates is that sustainable wellbeing requires more than achievement. It requires support, self-awareness, and the willingness to ask for help.
This article provides general health information only. If you are experiencing mental health difficulties, contact your GP or call the Samaritans on 116 123.
