Georgia Steel walked away with her man at the end of this year’s Love Island: All Stars series. But the online trolling she was subjected to about her time in the villa was so bad it left her scared to leave her house and resulted in her taking a break from social media.
No stranger to the world of showbiz, Georgia, 25, first appeared on the programme as a 19-year-old in 2018, when her iconic phrase “I’m loyal, babes!” went down in the show’s history books.
But her stint on the spin-off series in South Africa and the online backlash that followed left her wanting to make a positive change in the world of social media.
Speaking about the abuse, Georgia tells us, “The first week when I came out [of the villa], it was really overwhelming. I don’t know how I got through it when I was 19.
“I think I dealt with it a bit better this time around, because I’d done it before. But there was intense trolling while I was in the villa this time, so I just took some time away from social media and spent time with my family.”
What made it especially hard, says Georgia, was that her family and friends saw the abuse, too.
“That was awful,” she says. “The first thing I asked them was, ‘Do you really feel like I did anything wrong in the villa? Could I have done anything better?’, but they said I didn’t.”
“It feels a bit wrong because the boys would be doing those things, but for a girl to get to know multiple people at the same time, it was so frowned upon. I feel that it’s double standards. But I also feel like, as long as my family and friends are fine, and what they considered I did in the villa was OK, that’s all that really matters to me.”
Esta historia es de la edición March 25, 2024 de OK! UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 25, 2024 de OK! UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
GLUTEN-FREE GOODIES
Delicious desserts to make in your air fryer
FIVE KEY WAYS TO WELLNESS
It needn’t cost a fortune to unlock the secrets to a healthier, happier mindset with these simple core principles
Model behaviour
As her 60th birthday approaches, Yasmin Le Bon reveals her beauty secrets – and the pluses about getting older
'Work is a lifeline when times are tough
Actress Lucy Benjamin opens up about her marriage split as she reflects on career success, her time in Albert Square and her exciting new film
'The cherry on the cake will be when I meet a good man!'
Actress Denise Van Outen welcomes a new chapter in her life as she celebrates her milestone birthday and says she’s ready to meet Mr Right
'I always want to write better than I have before'
Best-selling author Harlan Coben shares his passion for writing thrillers and his joy at seeing the characters brought to life on screen
ALL SMILES AT TRUST AWARDS
Rain didn't stop play as Ant and Dec hosted the 20th Prince's Trust Awards the last before they become the King’s Trust Awards
'The success of this year is kind of beyond me
From the frothy pop of I Should Be So Lucky to the brain-invading brilliance of Padam Padam, Kylie’s career has taken some remarkable twists and turns. And keeping the fans guessing is all part of the plan
'We come into our power and strength at 50 plus'
Actress Hermione Norris calls for fair representation of older women on screen as she celebrates a new channel showing some classic TV
THE ROYAL WEEK
From meet and greets in the Highlands of Scotland to commemorative services in Norway, the royals have been busy