Ex-Love Island star Shaughna Phillips is calling for a greater variety of body types on the reality dating show. Now 30 and a mum of one, Shaughan was the first contestant to reveal what the public considered to be a “real body”. But that did not stop cruel trolling about her size, which she discovered when she left the villa in 2020, having had a brief but strong connection with Callum Jones. Londoner Shaughna exclusively told us: “I don’t know how I had the confidence to go into the villa. Even now, when I go on holiday – the first day when you’re a bit pale and put a bikini on, it’s always daunting. The thought of going on national television in a bikini was very daunting. But because I wasn’t aware of it [the trolling] it made it easier. You’re in this bubble.”.
She is glad she went into the ITV2 villa. “People said: ‘Oh you look like me’. That’s something I’ll always be proud of. There needs to be more diversity on the show. Every woman should be represented.” Shaughna, who has lipedema which causes an abnormal build up of fat, has had body image issues since her early teens. She said: “I went to an all-girls school, and I compared myself to other girls. I remember looking at their legs and thinking mine were so much bigger.” But her parents helped Shaughna see her worth. “I remember crying once to my mum and dad, telling them that I thought I was so fat. They would tell me to stop being silly. That made me realise that the way your body looks isn’t the be-all and end-all.”.
But 5ft 5in Shaughna’s weight did balloon after Love Island and at one point she weighed 15st 4.5lb. Her wake-up call came when a body scan revealed she was clinically obese and had visceral fat around her organs. She said: “It was such a shock. It made me think about what kind of role model I wanted to be for my daughter Lucia. I felt so ashamed of how I looked that I couldn’t face leaving the house.” Shaughna has transformed her figure, losing over five-and-a-half stone, and insists she’s done it for her, nobody else, and for a happy, healthy future with her two-year-old daughter. She launched fitness and nutrition website Shaughna’s Shred-It Plan to share the secrets of her jaw-dropping transformation.
She stresses she didn’t lose the weight through so-called skinny jabs. “I love my food too much and would be terrified by all those side effects. I did it the safe way. No drugs, no gastric band, no quick fixes.” Shaughna’s Shred-it online fitness platform is available now, £49, visit www.shreditplan.com. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
But 5ft 5in Shaughna’s weight did balloon after Love Island and at one point she weighed 15st 4.5lb. Her wake-up call came when a body scan revealed she was clinically obese and had visceral fat around her organs. She said: “It was such a shock. It made me think about what kind of role model I wanted to be for my daughter Lucia. I felt so ashamed of how I looked that I couldn’t face leaving the house.”.
Shaughna has transformed her figure, losing over five-and-a-half stone, and insists she’s done it for her, nobody else, and for a happy, healthy future with her two-year-old daughter. She launched fitness and nutrition website Shaughna’s Shred-It Plan to share the secrets of her jaw-dropping transformation. Stay up-to-date with all the news from the Love Island villa this summer with our regular newsletter.
