It was almost like therapy; it helped me heal myself – Zara Mcdermott
Gemma Dunn hears her hopes having taken much from her Revenge Porn documentary
With one film in the bag and another in the wings, Zara Mcdermott has proved steadfast in her impressive transition from reality star to documentary maker.
In just a few short years, the onetime Love Islander (Mcdermott entered the famous villa back in 2018) has switched out glitzy stints on shows such as The X Factor: Celebrity and Made In Chelsea – she is dating cast member Sam Thompson – for one-stop films that tackle some of today’s most important issues.
“I think that this is my career now,” reasons the 24-year-old, happily chatting away on Zoom.
“I mean, social media is, for me, a bit of fun. I love posting photos and working with amazing brands – what girl wouldn’t want to dress up in pretty dresses and do that side of things? That is a lot of fun. But for me there comes a point where that can only give you so much, that can only make you feel so much.
“The documentaries, that’s where I want to be, that’s where my passion is, that’s where my zest for life is [and] where I want to be forever.”
And thankfully viewers – and critics alike – agree she’s pretty good at it, having already garnered comparisons to Stacey Dooley’s seasoned ‘Investigates’ series and landing her branding in ‘Zara Mcdermott: Uncovering…’.
In fact, her first ever film on Revenge Porn – centred on the sharing of explicit or sexual images or videos without consent and inspired by her own life experiences – was such a hit it’s become BBC Three’s most requested factual TV programme of 2021, and even received a nod at this year’s NTAS.
“People are always talking about revenge porn; I get so many messages,” says Mcdermott, humbly.
“I don’t get approached as much in the street anymore, as I used to years ago, after
Love Island, but now, when I do, most people come up to me to talk about my documentary – and that’s such a rewarding feeling knowing you touched someone and made a difference.
“So many women say, ‘I had this’ and ‘thank you so much for doing your film because it really helped me understand what I could do, who to talk to and the fact that I shouldn’t be ashamed,” she says.
“And the more we can try and alleviate that, the more we can make women feel confident in the fact that they shouldn’t feel ashamed, and it’s not their fault, the better.”
The former government adviser hopes to incite the same positive response with her second powerful title, Zara Mcdermott: Uncovering Rape Culture.
Returning to BBC Three, the eye-opening documentary – stemming from her own assault four years prior – sees the Essex native investigate sexism and ‘rape culture’ in Britain’s schools, looking at how such attitudes and toxic behaviours have become normalised.
“The assault is something I experienced, but it could have been a lot worse. It all happened so quickly that I got out of that situation, mentally, quite unscathed.”