This aspiring Islander spent £15,000 on a boob lift, boob reduction and a Brazilian butt lift in a bid to get on Love Island, but was terrifyingly rushed back into hospital just three days after her surgery due to a high temperature.
Emily, 27, told Closer that, despite her new look, she STILL hasn’t made it on to Love Island. Worse still, the tanning shop worker has blown her deposit for a house as a means of joining her favourite reality show.
She said, “Before, I was a size 14 with JJ boobs – not the skinny look you see on Love Island.
“I thought the show could kick-start my career – maybe I’d get a fashion line – so I spent the £15,000 I had in savings on the surgery. I thought it was an investment in my future; I’ve seen girls like Olivia Attwood go on to have great careers and make money, so I’d love to emulate that.
“Now, I love my new body, but it didn’t work – I’m still not going to be on TV. I was saving for a house deposit. Now all that cash has been squandered, and I’m stuck wasting my money on rent.”
Single mum Emily, who lives in Coventry with her son, Oliver, five, says she’s been obsessed with the ITV2 show – which is just over halfway through its eighth season – since it began.
Emily applied for series three and four, but never heard back from producers. In desperation, she messaged the official Love Island Instagram account in January 2019 to ask them to consider her for series five.
Emily says, “I asked them to think about making me an Islander. I’m bubbly and good fun, so I’d be perfect.
“I’ve read about previous contestants suffering with depression afterwards, but I think I’m mentally strong enough, and I’ve got a great support network around me.
“I was so excited when I got a reply from a producer to say they’d look out for my application, as I thought it meant I might be in for a chance – they were so friendly.”
Emily says she immediately decided on surgery before she sent off her application.
She says, “I know a lot of the Love Island stars have had surgery, so I wanted to maximize my chances by making sure I looked like them. Really big boobs like mine aren’t in fashion. I also wanted a skinny waist and pert bottom.
“I started researching clinics on Instagram, and came across one in Marbella that was recommended by a Geordie Shore star, so I rang them up.”
Emily went on to have a Skype consultation with a surgeon, and a month later flew to Marbella for the six-hour operation, before recovering in a luxury villa (not the Love Island one).
She says, “My mum was furious and told me I was being selfish. I’d seen the news about women who have died after a Brazilian butt lift, but the clinic I chose had good reviews.
“I did feel guilty about leaving my son behind with Mum – but I thought I was investing in a future for us if it would bring career opportunities.”
Emily spent £15k on a breast uplift and reduction and a Brazilian butt lift, where fat was sucked out from her waist and reinserted into her bum.
She says, “I woke up after six hours under anaesthetic, and it was excruciating. I was covered in bandages, and the incisions were oozing fluid. I felt dizzy, and nurses were constantly changing my bedding because of the blood.
“Three days after the operation I was rushed back into hospital as my temperature was too high from an infection. I was delirious and honestly thought I was dying – I cursed myself for putting myself into this position. My son could have been left without a mother.
“But I was given antibiotics and an IV drip and a few days later, after my wounds had healed a little, I was able to see my new shape in the mirror.
“I’d gone from a size 14 to a size 6-8, because they removed the fat from my waist. My new E-cup boobs were perky. My bum was peachy, too – I finally looked like a Love Island star.”
After two weeks of bed rest, Emily flew home.
She said, “Two days after I got home, I had to go back into hospital again as my boob got infected, but it cleared up after antibiotics. After another few weeks, I could move about again. I loved being able to slip on tight dresses and pretty bralettes.”
Emily – who recently had lip, cheek and jawline fillers, costing £1,000, and has lip fillers every six months – says she took sexy selfies and swimsuit snaps for her application, along with a video introducing herself.
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Read more shocking real life in this week's Closer magazine - out now.