All the Love Islanders who’ve admitted they have struggled since the villa

Love Island may seem like the golden ticket to fame for a lot of people, however there is a lot that happens behind the scenes that takes a toll on those who go onto the show. With five former contestants saying they completely regret going on Love Island due to the toll it took on their mental health, many have spoken out about just how much they struggled once the camera stopped rolling and they were no longer in the villa. From past winners to Casa Amor bombshells, here are the Love Islanders who have admitted they have been struggling since appearing on the show.

Faye Winter

Love Island 2021 star Faye Winter has spoken candidly about her struggles with mental health after leaving the villa. In July 2022, Faye spoke with Sharon Gaffka on a podcast about how life after Love Island took a toll on her mental health due to the constant trolling from viewers.

Faye revealed that while she was in the villa, her sister had to block specific words on her Instagram due to all the hate messages she was receiving and it was from that Faye fell into a “dark place”. She said: “When I go on the words that my sister had to block on my Instagram and you look. When you get told enough that your life isn’t worth it and that you shouldn’t be here, that takes its toll and I was in such a dark place and I’ve only recently been able to talk about it.”

It has been well over a year since Faye was on Love Island and she said she still has “dark days” she feels she will “never get away from”. Faye said: “I feel so lonely. I’ve moved my whole life to be with Teddy because it’s what I wanted to do. He nips out to see his family and I sit at home completely on my own. And that’s in your own thoughts and it’s so hard. When you’re having a down day it’s so hard to see the positives.”

Mary Bedford

Mary Bedford entered the villa as a Casa Amor bombshell, however her time on Love Island was short lived as she was quickly dumped. Mary has recently revealed in an episode of her new podcast that she went into a “really dark place” and was “really sad” because she felt like she had ruined her life by going on Love Island.

She said: “It was a really difficult thing to deal with. It’s like, ‘How can I be feeling this way? I’ve been given one of the biggest opportunities in our generation. Going on Love Island is a massive opportunity, but I regret it so much.’ So that is something I struggled with at first, for quite a few months.”

Samira Mighty

Samira Mighty appeared on Love Island as an OG Islander on season four of the show. In 2019, Samira opened up about how she struggled to adjust to life after Love Island. She said: “On my down days, I lay in bed until 3pm thinking, ‘What am I doing? I hate my life. I miss having a routine.’ But talking helps – you often find other people are feeling the same way.”

Georgia Steel

Georgia Steel was on the same season as Samira Mighty and she also revealed she was suffering from loneliness and struggled with her mental health after the show. Speaking with The Sun, Georgia said “money doesn’t buy happiness” and the last few weeks after leaving Love Island left her being “the lowest” she had ever been”. She said: “Your highs are high but your lows are very low. It’s a different lifestyle. I could be filming for the day and surrounded by people saying my name but then I go back to my empty flat on my own and it hits me.”

Laura Anderson

Laura Anderson admitted she went through a “rollercoaster of mixed emotions” after starring on Love Island. Laura echoed the thoughts of other Islanders about having serious highs and lows after the show. She said: “You want to continue to succeed. You have highs and lows. You’ve come off a massive show and you’ve done really well but what’s next? It’s almost like a drug and that’s where I think people have to be careful.”

“I can sometimes feel down and lonely and it’s difficult to cope with the massive ups and downs that come with fame. In this industry, you can work from home so you are by yourself quite a lot and not going into a workplace to be sociable. The highs and lows are huge. It’s a rollercoaster and you have to be prepared,” she added.

Paige Thorne

Love Island 2022 star Paige Thorne recently revealed she has been struggling with who she is since Love Island and said she hasn’t been in a good place.

Speaking with The Sun, Paige revealed she has stopped drinking alcohol and plans to keep doing so until she feels she is in “a safe and happy place again”. Paige was an OG girl on Love Island 2022 and was coupled up with Jacques O’Neill for the most part before he left and she then coupled up with Adam Collard.

While at the Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody premiere, Paige said: “I’ve been struggling lately, really struggling with who I am and have not been in a good place. I have given up alcohol, it’s been three weeks now, because I’ve realised that I don’t like the person I become when I drink. So until I’m in a safe and happy place I want to stop drinking.”

Adam Collard

Adam Collard revealed it was his TV persona that took a toll on his mental health. Adam opened up about his struggled on the Where’s Your Head At? campaign, and said his portrayal negatively affected him. He said: “Alpha men who have a reputation on TV as strong characters might feel like they can’t speak out about their mental health. Me and Mike Thalassitis both portrayed this persona on Love Island, even though that’s not what we’re like in real life.

“I think this made it hard for me to speak about my mental health because people assumed I wasn’t ever bothered about anything. You think, ‘I can’t come out and say I’m upset about something because it’s just not really the done thing’.

“There are definitely things that impact negatively on my mental health, like body image. The pressure for me to stay in shape and keep up my appearance for social media is high. I’m also quite self-critical – I’ll take a picture and think, well I don’t look as good as I did in the Love Island villa, so I can’t post this picture on my Instagram. My friends think it’s ridiculous!”

Jake Cornish

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• More babies, engagements and brand deals: What are the OG mums from Teen Mom UK up to now

• Meet Arabella Ovenden, the 22-year-old graphic designer joining Made in Chelsea: Bali

• Love Island’s Liberty says she was followed by a stranger to her car after going shopping

Featured image credit via Instagram @gregoshea, @paigethornex and @faye__winter.