Gabby Allen had "no idea" how much her life would change after ‘Love Island’.
The 27-year-old reality star appeared on the ITV2 show’s third series in 2017 and while she was "vetted" before entering the villa, she wasn’t prepared for how dramatically things would change, and says some contestants are more equipped to "handle it" than others.
In an interview with the Daily Express newspaper, she said: "I had no idea how my life was going to change I was definitely thrown into the spotlight. Before you go into the villa you meet with a psychologist.
"They speak to you to see how you respond to certain questions and ask about previous experiences in your life. I feel like I was vetted.
"Some people can handle it more than others. You know going in that it’s national TV, so people are going to know who you are on some level.
"But sometimes contestants go out and expect so much and then when they don’t get it, it can be a hard pill to swallow."
‘Love Island’ has come under increased scrutiny following the deaths of former contestants Mike Thalassitis, 26, and Sophie Gradon, 32, but ITV have revealed there will be more detailed conversations with Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show.
There will also be bespoke training for all Islanders on social media and financial management, which extends support to all contestants following their participation.
While the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star was "devastated" by negative comments on social media when she first left the show, she copes by simply not looking at them and focusing on the support of her fans instead.
She said: "When I first came out there were loads of negative comments about me. At first I was absolutely devastated, I was like, ‘Why do these people hate me?’
"Now I try to limit what I look at. The positives outweigh the negatives but people can always be horrible and those comments always stick People say I’m boring but sod them."