Coco Lodge opens up on online trolling after Love Island

Coco Lodge has hit back at trolls who criticised her appearance after she appeared on Love Island.

The reality star, 27, described her experience on the show as a ‘rollercoaster’ and said after being dumped, she faced ‘brutal’ comments.

Speaking to De Mode, she said: ‘I also have had to deal with the bad side of now being in the public eye, especially with social media trolls and negative press which has felt hard at times especially when they have been so brutal about my appearance, which sometimes makes you question yourself. 

Coco Lodge has hit back at trolls who criticised her appearance after she appeared on Love Island. 

Coco added: ‘Since coming out of the Love Island villa to so much hate and negativity I have made it a goal of mine to get so successful just to prove all the haters wrong. 

‘I find throughout the whole experience in a backhanded way it’s made me love myself more than I did prior to the show because I’ve had to build myself up since coming out from the show and learn that regardless of anyone’s opinion I have to love myself and all my features and imperfections that I put in a spotlight for people to crucify, I chose this decision and I’ve just had to own it both the good and the bad.’

Coco also hit out at the show for its editing, saying that it ‘robbed’ her from showing her ‘100% genuine self’.  

The reality star, 27, described her experience on the show as a ‘rollercoaster’ and said after being dumped, she faced ‘brutal’ comments.

It comes after Coco appeared to criticise Love Island last summer, claiming she wasn’t prewarned about trolls before bosses gave her phone back to her.

Appearing on the Capital Breakfast in July, Coco said she was subject to abuse from trolls about her appearance which took her aback.

Host Sian Welby said to her: ‘You’ve been getting some awful, awful trolling, horrific comments on your Instagram, on Twitter, I mean what was it like coming out of the villa and suddenly seeing all that?’

Coco also hit out at the show for its editing, saying that it ‘robbed’ her from showing her ‘100% genuine self’.

Coco replied: ‘I just didn’t expect it because I wasn’t prewarned, so when I got my phone back, it was literally on the way to the airport and I was reading all these comments about my appearance, and how I look and I was literally shocked.  

‘I know there was an article released of me at the airport and it was “Coco Lodge fuming when she sees the trolls comments” and I just think, I was upset, I wasn’t fuming, it hurt, it is what it is.’  

A spokesperson for Love Island said all Islanders are given: ‘Training on the impacts of social media and handling potential negativity.

Not ready: It comes after Coco appeared to criticise Love Island last summer, claiming she wasn’t prewarned about trolls before bosses gave her phone back to her

‘Cast are told they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show and work through this decision-making process in consultation with their family and those closest to them, to ensure they feel it is right for them.

‘[They are given] a welfare team solely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after.

‘[As well as] bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.’  

After Mike Thalassitis’s death in 2019, producers announced key changes to Islanders’ duty of care and said all would be able to access therapy sessions, social media and financial training, and a minimum of 14 months of ‘proactive’ contact.

The ITV show addressed their duty of care after two islanders; Sophie Gradon and Mike and host Caroline Flack tragically died by suicide within a period of 20 months.