Several months after leaving the Love Island villa, Millie Court has opened up about how pressure to look a certain way on the show left her looking "unhealthily skinny". It comes after social media critics pointed out she's gained weight recently, and questioned whether she is pregnant.
Sharing an impactful message on her Instagram story alongside a screenshot of a comment from a follower, the 24-year-old said, "No, I am not pregnant. Although hopefully one day I will be… I’ve now experienced what it’s like to be absolutely torn apart by the way you look, dress, act and it can be hard on someone to be constantly judged."
She went on: "I’ve always been (before Love Island) fluctuating between a size eight and 10, but most of the time a size 10. I was so happy with the way I looked, I didn’t think twice about it."
But, the series' winner admitted that ahead of entering the famous Love Island villa, she felt pressured to change her appearance – aware of how much scrutiny participants of the show have faced when it comes to how they look. "[In] the weeks leading up to Love Island, I felt the need to lose several pounds because I knew I was going to be surrounded by beautiful, slim girls. I worked out every single day and ate salad for lunch and to tell you the truth I was miserable while doing it."
Millie continued, "I went from a size 10 to a six, and it’s the smallest I’ve ever been as a young adult. Because of my height, this made me look unhealthily skinny, of which I was (not eating barely anything, feeling ill all the time, tired, dizzy) and I remember looking at myself, I’d lost my boobs and my bum and those curves I once had and I missed them."
But since leaving the show, the 24-year-old says she's been able to rebuild her body confidence, despite the comments she receives on social media. "The point of this [is], since coming out of Love Island, I found my love for food again and yes I’m getting back to my usual size."
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She finished her emotional message by reminding fans that everyone is beautiful in their own way, and that there's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how we should look. "We're all different shapes and sizes, each size perfect in our own way. But please don't get stuck to the beauty standard of 'perfection'," she told her 1.9 million followers. "Loving our imperfections can be difficult, but when you learn to embrace them and realise that our imperfections don’t define us, they are just a part of us alongside everything that creates you as a person."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves Millie!
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
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