Love Island star Rachel Finni has warned hopefuls against going on the show to find love - but has insisted that if it's fame they are after, they should go for it.
Former luxury travel specialist Rachel, 29, became the first-ever black bombshell to enter the villa back in 2021, but her experience on Love Island left her hurt and 'traumatised' after she claimed she became the 'most violated' Love Island contestant in history.
Almost two years on from her brief stint on the ITV2 dating show, Rachel has issued a stark warning to those who are hoping to one day bag a spot on the show in order to gain fame and fortune.
Last year, Rachel hit back after fellow Islanders Brad McClelland, Aaron Francis, Jake Cornish and Tyler Cruickshank 'humiliated' her during an Instagram Live.
The lads laughed as Brad implied that she wasn't worthy of being a bombshell, stating: "Again, Rachel, not a bombshell," – with viewers branding them bullies.
Rachel says she learned the hard way that appearing on a show as popular as Love Island can make or break a person after she felt like she was subjected to discrimination and exclusion and was left with 'trauma' after she was ridiculed by the British public for her bombshell entrance walk.
Speaking to The Mirror about the criticism she faced on the show, and the abuse she was subjected to once she was dumped from the island, Rachel claimed that she was the 'most violated' Love Island star in history.
"Oh, I was the most violated. Definitely. The only blessing is that by me being so open and honest about my blatant violation and discrimination has brought about a major change in the attitude toward casting more black islanders.
"I was an incredible woman before Love Island and I am an incredible woman now. Nothing about that show added anything positive to my character traits. I never got a chance to show my real personality so anyone who thinks I’m incredible because of my experience is highly misled."
Although many islanders such as Molly-Mae Hague, Dr Alex George, Wes Nelson, Tommy Fury, and Maura Higgins have all gone on to reap incredible success off the back of their Love Island journeys, for many former islanders, the same reality just simply isn't the case - with the majority of former stars heading back to their old jobs and having said that they feel 'empty' after appearing on the show for their 'fifteen minutes of fame'.
Sharing her thoughts on the sometimes detrimental aftereffects of such a rapid rise to fame and an even quicker fall back to reality, Rachel has warned future Love Island hopefuls to steer clear from applying for the ITV dating show unless they have an incredibly thick skin.
"It all starts with intent. If you’re going on the show seeking fame that’s the first mistake. Fame isn’t promised," the former islander warned.
"Additionally Love Island is an influencer factory. You’re in and then you’re out. Your contract is only for whilst you're on the show.
"If you’re going on to use it as a marketing tool and increase what you already have, that is a better outlook - then you will be grateful for whatever comes your way.
"Love Island only cares whilst you’re on the conveyor belt, if you serve no purpose post-show or once you’re gone and made no impact with the outside world, you’re discarded.
"There have been hundreds of Love Islanders, but I bet you can only name about 20. Put yourself first because no one else will.
"Do not apply for the show unless you’re thick-skinned or willing to accept fame is not guaranteed. Go on it for fun and to increase what you may already have. Little expectations will make any rewards feel greater."
Speaking about her time on the show, Rachel says that although she suffered after appearing on Love Island, she's grateful that she has been able to use her voice in order to allow the future black stars of the show to shine after she felt discriminated against by her fellow cast members and the British public.
"Whether I get the credit or not for being on Love Island, I saw the effects of my outspokenness in the last series," Rachel said of her time in the villa.
"Look how successful the black islanders from series 8 have gone on to be. Some even breaking records previous black islanders from every series combined have never made.
"I wish the last Islanders before me were open on the discrimination they faced so we could have all gone on to have the same level of success. The thing is, people are scared to speak up against the show in case it affects the brand deals and newfound influencing careers.
"I didn’t care. I had a good corporate job and because I never went in the show for fame - I’d never limit my honesty just for a deal.
"I will always want to see increased diversity in the islanders and bombshells - whilst I’ve spoken of for mainly black contestants it’s time to throw in more Asian islanders, a mix of age islanders and real body diverse islanders. Not someone that has curves from a surgeon."
In contrast to Rachel's experience on the show, several previous Love Island stars have credited ITV for their duty of care standards, insisting that they were well taken care of after the show.
Ahead of the 2023 Winter series, ITV put in place further measures to protect contestants, including making it mandatory that all islanders have to pause social media activity for duration of series.
This series, all islanders will received enhanced training around behaviour in relationships
ITV and Lifted Entertainment have confirmed duty of care protocols for Islanders featuring on the ninth series of Love Island, which launched on January 16.
A comprehensive package of welfare measures remain in place for programme contributors to ensure they are fully supported before, during and after the filming period.
As part of extended measures to protect both the Islanders and their families from the adverse effects of social media, participants have been asked to pause handles and accounts on their social media platforms for the duration of their time on the show.
Islanders’ accounts will remain dormant while they are in the villa, so that nothing is published on their behalf.
Additionally, ahead of entering the villa, islanders also received guidance and training around mutually respectful behaviour in relationships. Participants were offered resource links to read up on, in advance of meeting their fellow Islanders, to help them identify negative behaviours in relationships and understand the behaviour patterns associated with controlling and coercive behaviour.
Ahead of series nine of the show, islanders were offered video training and guidance around subjects including but not limited to inclusive language surrounding disability, sexuality, race, ethnicity and microaggressions.
*Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.
