Love Island star Ollie Williams has announced he is running as a Reform UK candidate for a seat on Cornwall council.
The 29-year-old appeared on the ITV dating show in 2020 but left the villa after three days, claiming he still had feelings for another girl.
His appearance sparked fury among viewers after photos of him allegedly trophy hunting were leaked, resulting in Ofcom complaints and a petition signed by thousands.
After laying low for several years, Williams has now revealed he will run for Nigel Farage’s party in the Lostwithiel and Lanreath ward in a local election on May 1.
The aspiring politician said he is taking his “first baby steps into politics”, branding himself a “countryside steward and farmer” who wants to fight against the “erosion” of freedom of speech.
“I am proud to announce I will be running in May's local elections for the Reform Party in Lostwithiel and Lanreath,” Williams wrote on Instagram.
He went on: “Our freedom of speech and society has been eroded for far too long and it's time to act. I am not prepared to standby and hope someone else sorts it out while I watch it all burn - so I'm taking my first baby steps into politics.
“If you've followed me thus far I hope you'll trust my judgement, when I say I believe this to be the best course of action for the protection of your free way of life.
“If you support Reform and our beliefs then please make sure you get down to the polls or apply for a postal or proxy vote and… vote for Reform UK.”
In his campaign poster, Williams posed in a pair of wellies on a muddy country path and said he aims to “focus on community-led projects,” MailOnline reported.
He is running against current Liberal Democrat councillor, Colin Martin, who won the 2021 election with 42.1 per cent of the vote, beating the Conservative candidate by 38 votes.
Williams came under fire on series six of Love Island after photos emerged of him on hunting and culling trips, posing beside dead animals.
He said at the time that he was “treated like a murderer” and felt like “the most hated person in Britain”.
The TV star announced in a statement: “I did not shoot any of the animals shown in the photographs nor have I ever shot as a trophy hunter.
“I did volunteer to take part in the conservation and anti-poaching programme in Mozambique, a part of which involves old or sick animals being culled. I was there as an observer.”
The reality star often shares hunting photos on his Instagram, including a photo of six deer heads arranged around his two dogs as well as a snap of his dog next to a dead deer and a rifle in August.
“Good cull weekend, 6 in the chiller and off to be sausaged for local establishments #HUNTINGISCONSERVATION,” he captioned it.
In 2023, Williams got engaged to Cornish aristocrat Laura Nofer - the woman he left Love Island for - and they married in July 2024.
