Love Island’s Theo Campbell admitted that he is using humour and jokes about going blind as a coping mechanism after losing sight in his right eye.
The reality TV star - who lost vision in one eye after a champagne cork split it in half in a freak accident in Ibiza - also revealed that he has not yet received an apology from the woman who was holding the bottle.
Speaking to Standard Online exclusively, Campbell explained that his positive outlook and optimism is the best way to deal with “the worst thing that has ever happened” to him, as he hopes to regain his sight one day.
The 28-year-old former Team GB sprinter, who found fame on Love Island 2017, said: “If people knew me before, that’s how I am anyway about everything. So it hasn’t really knocked me. It did at first, the first couple of days.
“We all have different coping mechanisms and the best way I know how to deal with it is by joking around and not being too serious.
“I’m quite hopeful as well, but it is the worst thing that has happened to me.”
When asked if the woman who popped the champagne bottle has apologised to him after the incident, he replied: “Nah she hasn’t and I didn’t get a look of her to be honest.”
The star, who is dating Kaz Crossley from Love Island 2018, said that he imagines that the woman is afraid of being “put on social media” but that an apology would be “appreciated.”
“I can image she is scared or thinks that I might have a go at her or blame her or put her on social media,” he said seriously. “So I understand why she hasn’t [reached out]. Fair enough.
“A little bit of an apology would be appreciated, but it doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. But hopefully I get my sight back.”
Although doctors have said that there is a 1% chance of the vision in his eye returning, he's staying positive - and believes he can heal.
The reality star’s positive outlook increased after receiving multiple messages from fans online with life-changing injuries, leaving him even more grateful to not have complete sight loss.
He added: “I’ve tried to not let it affect too much of my life and carry on as normal because I do have one eye that does function.
“It’s not like I’ve lost an arm, or leg or I can’t walk. I can physically do everything the same as I could before. Reading is a little harder now, I have to really focus to read a sentence. I can still go to the gym, I can still pretty much do everything I could do before.
“Compared to what some people go through, it could be a lot worst.”
The Challenge star from Bath also said that he wouldn’t need therapy to deal with the accident because it happened during the “the best time” in his life.
“I suppose if I needed it, and if I was in a really dark place, and maybe if I got depressed or something. But I’m not at the moment and I’m in a good place,” he said.
“If it was maybe a year ago, then I would have really suffered.”
Campbell will be running a tough 10K race to raise funds for a blindness charity on Saturday.
The Himalayan Cataract Project provides eye care and surgery to people in developing countries.
He previously joked on Instagram: “I would do it for people who got popped in the eye with a cork, but that charity doesn’t exist.”
In the same social media post he revealed he picked the charity because “sight is the most important sense a person has, so if you can help someone fix their sight, it’s going a long way.”
