'Love Island': Amy Hart says working with show's therapist helped her beat trolls
Love Island contestant Amy Hart is "grateful" that being on the show has given her a platform to talk about mental health, including her own experiences with therapy.
The 28-year-old said she worked with the dating show's therapist for eight months and is now "so much more confident" than she was before meeting with them.
Read more: Amy Hart criticises Radio 1 over fake dumping prank
"I know I’m good enough now," Hart told The Sun on Sunday. "That’s why I feel I’m in a good place to speak out about mental health issues."
Hart appeared on the 2019 series of Love Island, departing the competition voluntarily on day 37 after her relationship with Curtis Pritchard broke down.
Watch: Amy Hart discusses stint on Celeb Ex in the City
“When I went on Love Island, I didn’t realise I’d lived my whole life believing I’m unlikeable, ugly, a failure and not good enough," Hart added.
"I always wore my clothes, my hair and my nails like an armour so people would comment on them being over the top instead of saying something about me.
“When I left the villa it felt like everything was happening at 100 miles an hour and I got into a dark place because I was so run down.
“The trolling was also really kicking off, so I asked the ITV team for help. And after working with the show therapist for eight months, I’m now so much more confident.”
Hart opened up about the abuse she has received since she appeared on Love Island and said Islanders like her "get so much stick for being thick and one-dimensional bikini wearers".
She revealed that one of the most shocking acts of trolling was when she was told to go and kill herself by a 14-year-old boy.
Read more: Amy Hart "put my sanity first" when she quit Love Island
"I want to film a TV documentary where I meet trolls — like the 14-year-old boy who told me to kill myself — and ask them why they do it," said Hart.
"Then I would like to talk to his parents about why he is doing it. I think it would genuinely make people think twice about what they are doing online.”
Love Island aftercare has been in the spotlight in recent years following the suicide of former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis.
Along with many other reality TV shows, Love Island has reassessed the aftercare it offers to participants and new Ofcom wellbeing rules were introduced in July 2019.
Read more: Dr Alex George hopes for more diverse Love Island cast
Since her tenure on Love Island, Hart has taken on a number of high-profile jobs, including as a guest panellist on Loose Women and joined fellow contestants Yewande Biala and Rosie Williamson on a Cambridge Union panel discussing mental health.
Love Island is set to return to TV screens this summer for the first time since its inaugural winter series in January 2020 — with last year's summer series cancelled due to COVID-19.
Watch: ITV unveils new teasers for return of Love Island
