By Grace McGettigan
17th Jul 2019
17th Jul 2019
Since leaving the ‘Love Island’ villa, Amy Hart has replaced her tears with a smile. Here’s why I’m glad to see the 26-year-old so happy at last
In the interest of full disclosure – I don’t watch Love Island. I do, however, use Twitter on a somewhat obsessive basis, so I’ve come to know the ins-and-outs of the reality show and its cast.
I’ve also been following the cast after they leave the villa; partly curious to see where their newfound fame leads them, partly to observe the after-effects of reality television.
Public ridicule
For weeks I saw one Love Island cast member, in particular, face huge public ridicule. Amy Hart, a 26-year-old air hostess from Sussex, not only suffered heartbreak on national TV, but she was also the subject of thousands of hurtful, nasty tweets.
As each episode aired on ITV, my Twitter feed became flooded with insults about Amy’s face, her teeth and the way she walks. People mocked her voice, others made memes and gifs of her ‘ugly crying’.
Related: How Michael’s behaviour
gave us all a lesson in ‘gaslighting’
While I’m aware she wasn’t an angel on the show (my colleagues have filled me in on her less-than-perfect behaviour), that’s no reason to troll (and let’s face it – bully) a girl who is only looking for love. And, on the subject of perfection, show me one person who hasn’t made mistakes in life.
As my colleague recently wrote, “There are many facets of [Amy’s] behaviour that I didn’t agree with, much more that made me cringe, but I also felt afraid for her. The levels of online abuse directed towards the 26-year-old were unfathomable at times, and to have your heart shattered in front of millions of viewers is soul-destroying.”
Unlucky in love
Amy entered the Love Island villa in search of love. Before the show started, she described herself as a real-life, unlucky-in-love Bridget Jones.
As someone who had never had a boyfriend, all she wanted was to find ‘the one’ – and so when she matched with cast-mate Curtis, she gave him her heart. That is until he broke it.
Curtis only wanted to be friends, and unable to watch him move on with someone else, Amy left the villa.
Happy at last
As she left the villa, Amy said, “I’m going to start the rest of my life today”. The Sussex-native was true to her word. Putting herself first and leaving her fling with Curtis behind, Amy has transformed into the happy, relaxed woman she deserves to be.
A recent appearance on the daytime chatshow Loose Women proved that.
Speaking about her decision to leave the villa, as well as life after the show, Amy appeared confident and happy. She spoke so openly and honestly about everything that viewers applauded her authenticity. It made for a nice change from the hurtful comments she’d received in the past.
And the news for Amy gets better. The public response to her appearance on Loose Women was so positive that producers have invited her back as a guest panellist.
Already, viewers are calling for her to be made a permanent fixture of the show, with one person tweeting, “Lovely, hope you decide to keep Amy on as a regular – she fits in perfectly with Loose Women family”.
Another said, “Wonderful news, Amy. Here is the start to your new career. Good luck xxx”.
NEWS JUST IN. ?
We loved #LoveIsland‘s @AmyHart1707 so much that we’re having her as a guest panellist next Wednesday! We can’t wait to welcome Amy back to the #LooseWomen panel ?? pic.twitter.com/ygOCOUaUEB
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) July 16, 2019
Building back up
In a world where people are so quick to judge one another and tear each other down, it’s enlightening to see a woman finally building herself back up.
What’s more, she has gained support from the general public at last. Nice comments and kind words can go a long way; we can all learn from that.
I’m also relieved to see Amy hasn’t been too negatively affected by the hurtful things said about her online, and I’m inspired to see she’s using her experience of heartbreak to turn her life around.
If Amy Hart can handle public ridicule, painful heartbreak and the pressures of reality TV so maturely – then I can handle anything.
Photos: Amy Hart via Loose Women
Read more: Love Island secrets and why producers are right to censor contestants being intimate
Read more: Love Island: There is a part of Amy Hart in all of us when it comes to heartbreak
Read more: Love Island: How Michael’s behaviour gave us all a lesson in ‘gaslighting’
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