Former Love Island star Brett Staniland has shed light on the 'homophobic abuse' he suffered after appearing on the show last summer.
The fashion model, arrived into the villa as a bombshell in 2021, and his quirky fashion sense soon got tongues wagging.
While Brett became very popular among the other Islanders as soon as he arrived, the same opinion seemingly wasn't shared among the public, who he claims bombarded him with abuse once he left.
Brett only had eyes for medical student Priya Gopaldas when he first landed in the villa, but after she claimed she got 'the ick' due to his quirky fashion sense, Brett was left red-faced when he arrived back to the UK where he was endlessly teased about his appearance.
The model, who also boasts a PhD in Applied Biological and Exercise Science, said he found it difficult to go out in public after appearing on the show due to the volume of abuse he received after returning home to the UK.
Brett said he found it 'very challenging' to go out in public in the weeks after his departure from the Love Island villa.
"There were a few bad situations at parties I went to and a lot of homophobic abuse against me," he told The Sun.
The former Islander went on to reveal that he found it incredibly tough not to read the bad things that were written about him on social media as Love Island fans mocked him relentlessly.
"They say don't read or engage with the negative stuff online, but it's really hard to escape when it's on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and everywhere else," Brett explained.
"Nothing prepares you for someone coming up to your face and calling you a c**t or a f****t, it's really challenging, but now things got better.
"But calling me gay will never offend me. It does not affect me one bit. But when you choose words in a way so that being gay is deemed as wrong, that is when I have an issue with it.
"Homophobia will not run at all on here," he added.
While Brett endured quite a difficult time after his departure from the show, he has credited Love Island for giving him a platform to raise awareness for social causes he believes in - including mental health and sustainable fashion.
