Zara is not a game player – she’s confident & been friends with Olivia for years, says pal & Love Island’s Demi Jones

LOVE Island's Demi Jones has raced to defend her best pal Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown - insisting she's not a "game player".

Model Zara, 25, has certainly ruffled some feathers, including getting on the wrong side of ring girl Olivia Hawkins, after she caught the eye of footballer Tom Clare, 23.

Since Zara entered the villa as a bombshell, the two ladies have taken an instant dislike to each other, and have had numerous vicious clashes as they fight to stay in the villa.

Zara branded Olivia "two-faced", while Olivia hit back and called her a "game player" during a heated exchange.

Now, season six Islander Demi has slammed accusations that her friend is playing a game and said she's a "confident girl" who won't settle for less.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Demi said: "Zara's not a gameplayer, she's just very confident and she knows her own worth and doesn’t settle for anything.

"She may appear to be coming across like that but it’s because she knows what she wants and is not going to settle for anything less.

"She’s a confident girl and knows what she wants."

Demi also addressed rumours that Zara and Olivia had a secret feud before the show after The Sun revealed that they appeared in the same music video.

In unearthed footage for RnB singer Dapz's music video Take Me Away, both girls were seen lounging by the pool in bikinis in the middle of a house party in the Hollywood Hills.

Internet sleuths had already dug up old Instagram messages which prove the pair were at least commenting on each other's posts years before they entered the show.

Shedding some light on the rift, Demi said the pair have been "friends for years", but may have fallen out while working together on a shoot for a music video.

"They’ve been friends for a very long time - in London, everyone knows everyone, so I’m sure something must have gone on," Demi said.

"They did know each other before the villa, I also know Olivia.

"They’re starred in music videos together so maybe it’s something to do with that.

"I think they’ve resolved it now - hopefully they can move past it and Olivia can find someone and Zara goes away with Tom."

Zara and Tom's romance has been far from smooth sailing and fans recently accused the hunky footballer of "playing" two of the girls.

Demi admitted that Zara and Tom could be on borrowed time as Casa Amor fast approaches.

She told us at the Dirty Dancing Gala show on Wednesday: "I think she does like Tom, he’s very much her type on the outside as well, so I think they will stay together.

"But I’m just worried as Casa Amor is approaching and obviously they’ve not been together for that long, maybe their eyes will wonder, but for now I think she does seem settled with Tom."

Demi said she had no idea that her actress pal has signed up for the show and was shocked when she Zara's bombshell entrance.

"She kept it a complete secret so nobody knew," Demi added.

"It was an absolute shock, I was drinking my tea  and I was like ‘Oh my god’, so yeah, she’s one of my friends from home so I have to support her."