I was on Love Island and hit rock bottom after leaving the villa – watching it back makes me feel sick, says Jess Hayes
LOVE Island star Jess Hayes has opened up about the down side of finding fame on the hit reality show.
Jess, who appeared on series one in 2016, winning alongside Max Morley, has revealed she feels "sick" looking back at her time in the villa, after "hitting rock bottom" and "asking to leave".
Now, eight years after departing the Spanish villa, Jessica has lifted the lid on her reality show experience, as well as "navigating" her way through fame after being crowned winner.
Speaking to , Jess admitted the process was more difficult than expected as she spoke about her lowest moments on the show.
“Yeah, it was one of the hardest things ever, like being away from your friends and family," Jess said.
"It's almost like you're in this experiment. It feels like that at times and it was very testing, especially for me.
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"If the villa turns on you, you've got nowhere to go. I remember there were times when there'd be arguments or things weren’t great, and I'd be at rock bottom, screaming, crying and I'd have to go into the hideaway.
"There would be times where I’d go into the beach hut and be like, ‘I just want to leave, I just want to leave.’ It’s tough mentally.”
Jess said it was difficult to adjust to life after finding fame nearly a decade ago.
She recalled: “Yeah, that was probably one of the hardest things - then obviously everyone knows you, they're coming up for photos.
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"You’ve got all the media attention, it's like you don't really remember life before.
"I can't remember life before, even now eight years on.”
While their relationship didn't last, she certainly has enough memories for a lifetime.
Jess admitted that watching herself back ‘makes her "feel sick".
She revealed: “I look back at myself and it makes me want to be sick - now as a mother.
"I don't regret how I was in there, like everyone thought I was a feminist and very open.
"To be honest, that's who I was before I went on the show and that's 100% me.
"I was very open to talk about sex and I was a bit of a flirt, but that's just who I was.
"But I think as a mother now and someone that's got their head on their shoulders a bit more, I could not watch it back. If my friend or partner wanted to watch an episode, I would die. I would run for the hills.”
Tonight, Maya Jama will be in South Africa to crown the winner of Winter Love Island 2023.
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The four remaining couples are: Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins; Tanya Manhenga and Shaq Muhammad; Tom Clare and Samie Elisihi, and Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan.
A summer series of the show, which will take place back in the show's original home of Mallorca, Spain.
