ISLE BE OFF , THEN!
Love Island star quits after barrage of hate over his big-game hunting – then reveals he’s STILL besotted with his ex
A LOVE Island contestant has quit the show just three days in – after almost 40,000 signed a petition demanding his ejection over his trophy-hunting past.
The 23-year-old said he had left the ITV2 reality show because he is still in love with his ex-girlfriend.
But the decision follows a barrage of online criticism over photos which showed him posing with the carcasses of a warthog, water buffalo and sable antelope in Africa.
The now-deleted images were reportedly used to promote his hunting business, Cornish Sporting Agency. Ofcom had received 467 complaints about his inclusion, with conservationist Chris Packham among those who called for him to be axed.
ITV confirmed yesterday that Mr Williams had decided to leave the Love Island villa in Cape Town, South Africa. ‘I have to be honest with myself, and everyone, that I do still love someone else,’ he explained on last night’s show.
‘I have to follow my heart in this scenario and it would be wrong for me to ignore these feelings.
‘This is Love Island and it’s about finding love. If I carried on anything with [fellow contestant Paige Turley], or any other girl that might come into the villa, it wouldn’t be fair on them.’ A source confirmed he was talking about ex-girlfriend Laura Nofer, 23. ‘He still has really strong feelings for Laura,’ they told The Sun.
Mr Williams has not held back about his affluent upbringing, claiming to be the heir of Lanhydrock in Cornwall. The famous house and gardens are actually owned by the National
Trust, which has made clear he will not take over.
In Love Island’s first ‘coupling up’ session – when men enter individually, and women are invited to step forward if they find them attractive – no one stepped forward for Mr Williams, who rates his looks as ‘ten out of ten’.
The blond left Miss Turley, 22, shocked when it was revealed he had cheated on one girlfriend ‘eight or nine times’. ITV said Mr Williams has been made aware of what has been written about him while inside the villa.
A spokesman added: ‘We will be supporting Ollie as he leaves the villa as part of our robust duty of care processes.’
The broadcaster has come under pressure to properly support ex-contestants after former Love Island stars Sophie Gradon, 32, and 26-year-old Mike Thalassitis took their own lives.
Last year the broadcaster announced an enhanced duty of care policy, including at least eight post-show therapy sessions.