FORMER Love Island star Coco Lodge has revealed the extent of the horrific online abuse she suffered when she was dumped out of the villa last summer.
As a new set of contestants take part in Winter Love Island, Coco warned them not to set their expectations too high for life after the show.
The abuse she suffered was so appalling she almost had a breakdown in a London shopping centre, she revealed.
“Nothing could prepare you for the level of online trolling I had. Nothing,” she said. “There were so many horrible attacks just focused on my appearance.”
Now hosted by Maya Jama and with a villa in South Africa, the show is set to run until spring.
But Coco said contestants should be careful what they wished for.
The 27-year-old, from Guildford, Surrey, said she was not only the target of thousands of abusive messages online, but also random passengers on public transport.
She was even shown abusive tweets by Love Island fans rushing up to her while she shopped.
Coco went into the show at the last-minute as a so-called “bombshell”.
It was during a part of the series called Casa Amor, in which contestants are tested to see if they would be unfaithful.
Asked if ITV2, which broadcasts the show, had deliberately cast her as a femme fatale, she replied: “Yes, I guess.
“But I would say I’m probably like the complete opposite of that.”
This story is from the January 29, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 29, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GUNNERS' ART OF ROTATION
MIKEL ARTETA is happy to be a tinkerman during the title run-in. Nobody could ever accuse the Arsenal boss of making changes for the sake of it - he has made the fewest among the top clubs this season.
BALL ALL BUSINESS FOR CHAMPS
Fast start gets Pep in right spot ahead of Real show
Olympic hero's marathon struggle for fitness
James Cracknell opens up
Farage to tell Brussels more will leave EU
NIGEL Farage will say Britain will not be the last country to leave the EU when he returns to Brussels this week - his first visit since Brexit.
the All white on night...or purple pain for England?
THE England team's hopes of glory at Euro 2024 could be in peril if they opt for the new purple kit which was unveiled last month.
Race row flag key hazard to Dukes return
A BID to reboot classic 80s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard has hit the skids due to a row over the Confederate flag on the roof of its famous General Lee car.
My lifelong search for justice for Yvonne
For the past four decades former PC John Murray has doggedly pursued justice for his much-loved colleague Yvonne Fletcher, who was gunned down outside the Libyan embassy in 1984. KAREN ROCKETT reports
The online 'superstars' driving UK drug trade
Social media giants are helping fuel an influx of Albanian drug workers into Britain by allowing influencers to promote a criminal lifestyle and become superstars. Sunday Express investigations editor ZAK GARNER-PURKIS reports
Youngsters 'at suicide risk' after sex change surgery
A FORMER governor of the country's only NHS gender identity service for children says \"many\" young people attempt suicide after regretting sex change surgery.
Harry 'ready for royal reunion' come summer
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex are \"ready, willing and able\" to return to Britain with their two young children this summer in a show of family unity for King Charles, it was claimed yesterday.