LOVE IS IN THE HAIR
Laura reveals plans for future and her crush on TV’s Eamonn
Love Island star Laura Anderson is determined she won’t be another hair today, gone tomorrow reality TV contestant.
The former flight attendant plans to make a fortune with her own extensions business.
The 29-year-old Scot, who finished runner-up in this year’s ITV2 series with Paul Knops, wants to run a hair business alongside a career in TV.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mail, Laura, who now has more than 1.4million Instagram followers, said: “Since coming out of the villa, I’ve been inundated with offers and opportunities – and I’m planning on grabbing as many as I can.
“My ultimate goal is to become a TV presenter but I know that will not happen overnight so, in the meantime, I’m concentrating on building my brand and keeping my profile high.
“I’m a qualified hairdresser and am looking into launching my own range of hair extensions. If that takes off, maybe a fashion range will follow.
“Paul has modelled for some high-end brands and knows the industry so a fashion label is something we could maybe tackle. We are also keen to support as many charities as we can.”
Dumped twice, backstabbed by so- called friends and mocked because of her age, Laura’s Love Island journey was the most turbulent of all the islanders. But the dignified way she handled herself won her an army of fans – not only in Scotland but across the UK.
Laura, who eventually found love on the show with Paul, 31, after failed relationships with nuclear engineer Wes Nelson, 20, and footballer Jack Fowler, 22, admits she can’t get her head around how she went from being trolled to hailed as the heroine of the show.
She said: “It was really weird reading all the comments on social media and seeing the reaction to me in the press. I never thought people would be that interested in me. I’m glad I didn’t know about all the comments about my age at the start as some were pretty nasty.
“I can’t believe my birth certificate had to be used to prove I was only 29. Folk even thought I had a child even though it’s made quite clear in my Instagram posts that Ava is my niece.
“Some of the early comments would have been harder to swallow if public opinion hadn’t changed so dramatically after the first couple of weeks. The positive reaction and the support I got from everyone far outweighed the bad.”
She added: “I knew the show was big as I was addicted to it last year and saw the reaction the islanders got when they came out. But I wasn’t expecting the reaction to this year’s show to be even bigger.
“I never dreamed I’d make it to the last day. To come second was mindblowing. I knew 100 per cent from day one that Dani and Jack would win but never thought I would be in the running.
“I was kind of hoping I’d be the only y Scottish islander and Scotland would throw w their support behind me – and they did. I hope I’ve done my country proud.”
The former Emirates air steward has alsoso bagged herself a celebrity fan – This Morningng presenter Eamonn Holmes and tomorrow shehhe will meet him in person.
She said: “I’ve always had a crush on Eamonn.nn. I couldn’t believe it when my sister Daniellele told me he’d been talking about me on tellyly and had sent me a message of support onn social media.
“I’m going on the sofa with him and Ruth. I love the pair of them. They are such a cutee couple and meeting them is going to be a real highlight. I’m so excited.”
Laura, who has dated several famous men including singer Dane Bowers and former Scotland rugby player Max Evans, says she wasn’t expecting her past relationships to become such a big talking-point.
She said: “It was mad that all the stories about my famous exes came out when I was in there.
“Max was that long ago I don’t have any photos of him on my Instagram account. They were on my Facebook page and I deleted that before I went in. We parted on good terms.
“I’m still on good terms with Dane Bowers, too, there is no negativity there either. I chatted to him before I went in. He wished me luck.”
Laura, who was praised for her attitude towards islanders Megan Barton Hanson and Laura Crane after they stole her men, admits she was badly hurt in the villa but says it was worth it because she landed her soulmate
It all worked out for the best as I found my Prince Charming
PPaul. She said: “Wes really hurt mme. We’d been together three wweeks and the intensity of the vvilla meant it might as well have bbeen three years.
“Deep down, I knew Wes and JackJ weren’t thet ones for me but when you’re in there,thhere, you attachatt emotions more easily. With PauPaul,ul, it was diffdifferent. It was as if he had been scoscoutedd personally for me. If I could have drawn himhim, I couldn’t have done a better job.
“IIt all worked out for the best as I found my PrinPrince Charming. If I was still with the other boyboys, that would not have happened.”
LLaura, who was one of the first contestants to hhave sex on the show, said: “Before I went on LovLove Island, I was 100 per cent against doing bits in the villa but when you are close to somsomeone and are sharing the same bed, it’s only humhuman to want to get intimate and it’s easy to fforget about the cameras. That happened witwith Wes.
“WWhen Paul came in, it was different. Like Jack and Dani, we wanted to wait until we were outoutside as we knew our relationship was goingoing to last and we wanted to keep those mommoments to ourselves.”
SShe added: “We aren’t in a rush to say, ‘I love youyou’ or, ‘ Will you be my girlfriend/ boyfriend?’ as wwe didn’t need that reassurance. We are seeiseeing each other exclusively and are looking forwforward to spending time together.
“PPaul and I are enjoying having normal dates in tthe outside world and are looking forward to sseeing where the future takes us.
“WWe’re coming to Stirling in the next few weeweeks to make a personal appearance at the FubFubar club. It’s where I used to go when I was grogrowing up. I never dreamed I’d be back makmaking an appearance there.
“FFunni ly enough, Wes is making an appappearance there this weekend. I don’t know whawhat reception he’ll get after mugging me off witwith Megan.”
LLaura, who is moving to London from her curcurrent home in Dubai, has no regrets about goingoing on Love Island.
SShe said: “The show and Paul have come at a perperfect time in my life. I was ready for the next chachapter and thanks to Love Island, it looks like it is going to be a pretty exciting one.”