Usually when stars leave the Love Island villa they gone a whirlwind tour of press interviews, red carpet events and meetings with brands who are vying to snap them up for exclusive deals.
However, when Love Island 2021 star Mary Bedford was dumped from the villa last year, she returned to the UK and shunned press and events for the next few weeks. At the time, fans were confused as to why the Casa Amor bombshell wasn't out and about doing the rounds, but it later came to light that Mary's grandma had sadly passed away while she was on the show.
Now, in the first episode of her brand new podcast, The Blonde Diaries, which she co-hosts with fellow Islander Ellie Brown, Mary has opened up about "hibernating" after leaving the villa as she admitted she felt like she'd "ruined her life" on the show.
Mary explained, "Coming off, there was the added pressures of Love Island, then the pressure of everything at home, so I went into a really dark place. Like, December, January, I was really sad. Nobody knew this, this weren’t in the press, this has never even been spoken about. My family knew, my friends knew, and that was it.
“So, coming off the show, at first I did regret it. I was like, ‘What have I done?’ Another thing was, if I hadn’t gone on the show I would have gotten to say goodbye. So many things were going through my head, I was like, ‘What have I done? I’ve ruined my own life. I weren’t there to say goodbye to my grandma’. It was a really difficult thing to deal with, but then come February, I met Ellie and Ellie was like, ‘I went through the same thing a few years ago’ and you start realising it’s normal.
"It’s like, ‘How can I be feeling this way? I’ve been given one of the biggest opportunities in our generation. Going on Love Island is a massive opportunity, but I regret it so much’. So that is something I struggled with at first, for quite a few months."
Crediting Ellie for helping her, Mary continued, "Then I started to be comfortable with going out to Zara and getting used to getting stopped. I didn’t do any red carpets when I left. I said no to everything because I literally just wanted to hibernate and be in Ariana’s apartment and be safe and not go out.
"I wouldn't even go to the shop. Not saying I'm this massive famous person, but I was struggling. But I've gone on to have literally the best year of my life. We've had an absolute ball. Now I can really look back on the show and say 'thank you for doing that' and I don't regret it. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me and my family."
Who is Mary Bedford?
Mary Bedford is a reality star, influencer and model who rose to fame on the seventh series of Love Island in 2021.
How old is Mary Bedford?
Mary Bedford is currently 23 years old. She was born on 14 July 1999.
Where is Mary Bedford from?
Mary is originally from Leeds, however she's now based in Manchester.
When was Mary Bedford on Love Island?
Mary entered Love Island 2021 as a Casa Amor bombshell and quickly caught the eye of Toby Aromolaran. Toby chose to bring Mary back to the main villa, leaving Abi Rawlings single as they were coupled up before Casa Amor and Abi chose to remain loyal to Toby (big mistake there, hun).
Eventually, Toby chose to re-couple with his former flame Chloe Burrows and called things off with Mary. Mary coupled up with Casa Amor boy Sam Jackson, but he was later dumped from the villa.
Mary then coupled up with footballer Aaron Simpson when he entered the villa on day 45. A week later, they were dumped from the island as a couple on day 52.
Are Mary Bedford and Aaron Simpson still together?
Although they left the Love Island villa as a couple, Mary appeared to friend zone Aaron during an appearance on spin-off show Aftersun when she told host Laura Whitmore, “I think we’re just gonna go home, when we’re back in the real world again and things are more normal. We’re going to see how it goes, but I’ve definitely made a best friend in here.”
She later admitted their relationship fizzled out as she focused on spending time with her family in the wake of her grandma's death.
“Coming out of the villa and finding out the news about my grandma completely threw me, I’ve never lost anyone close to me so it has been really hard to be honest… A result of this my head is all over the place, and all I knew is I wanted to be back home surrounded by my loved ones," she told fans during an Instagram Q&A.
Did Mary Bedford date Chris Hughes?
Mary was spotted on a date with Love Island legend with Chris Hughes in August 2020 following his split from Jesy Nelson. At the time, a source told The Sun, "Chris and Mary went out for a slap-up dinner and looked really close. They were kissing and cuddling and were all over each other when they headed out at the end of the evening."
However, Chris later denied he was ever in a relationship with Mary. "No, but Mary's not my ex! I went on a date with her and I was pictured with her but that was as far as it went. She's a nice girl and I wish her all the best, but she's not my ex," he told the same publication.
Does Mary Bedford have Instagram?
You can follow Mary on Instagram at @mary_bedford.