Love Island's Shaughna Phillips reveals biggest regret over show romance

Daily Mirror

6 days ago

EXCLUSIVE: Love Island star Shaughna Phillips has opened up about her time in the villa and the heartbreak she faced in Casa Amor, as well as her journey to motherhood
Love Island favourite Shaughna Phillips opened up about her unforgettable time on the show, her journey through heartbreak and self-discovery in Casa Amor, and how life has changed since leaving the villa.
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Shaughna Phillips made a lasting impression during her time on the winter 2020 series of Love Island, quickly becoming a fan favourite thanks to her dry wit, self-awareness, and raw honesty. Speaking to The Mirror exclusively on behalf of Betboo, Shaughna opened up about the emotional rollercoaster of her time in the villa, the fallout of Casa Amor with Callum Jones, and her transformation from reality star to mother – all in her trademark no-nonsense style.
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Reflecting on the time before she entered the South African villa, Shaughna admits she didn't fully trust her instincts. 'Don't settle for no one,' she says now. 'I was 25 when I went in. I don't know whether I had it in my head that if you're with someone for the longest, you're going to stay in there for the longest. But you just feel that if you're not in a couple, you're not safe. I wish I trusted my gut more.'
It was that lack of trust in herself that would be tested to the limit in the show's infamous twist – Casa Amor. Shaughna, who had been coupled up with Callum Jones, was left devastated when he returned from the boys' retreat with new bombshell Molly Smith on his arm.
'I think it was portrayed exactly how it transpired,' she reflects on the scenes that became Love Island legend. 'I just wish it had transpired differently because I was so adamant. They could have sent anyone in – well, not anyone. If they sent Channing Tatum for me, I'd definitely have switched – but I was like, it's better to be loyal and be mugged off than to recouple and look like a doughnut if he came back single.'
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Despite suspecting Callum wouldn't return alone, she stuck to her guns. 'I always thought he was going to come back with someone,' she admits. 'I wasn't going to let that thought cloud my judgment, but I should have coupled up with someone and hedged my bets.'
She now has a message for future islanders: 'Hedge your bets, girls, do not settle.'
While Love Island may look like sun-soaked bliss, Shaughna says the truth is very different behind the scenes. 'I've never worked as hard as I worked in that villa. It is long, long hours. It is not all glamorous,' she reveals. 'You've got a producer shouting, '20 minutes left,' and at that moment, you've only got one eyelash on, and your legs are hairy. There is just nothing enjoyable about the getting-ready situation.'
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And forget lounging around by the pool. 'Even when you're getting ready, it could be three or four o'clock in the morning. You're so tired, you can barely keep your eyes open,' she adds. 'There are still people who need to discuss certain things, and you're like begging these people, just pull this f****** chat out of your ass.'
She even recalls pretending to be drunk just to get out of conversations. 'There was one night when I was genuinely acting drunk because I was so tired, I had to get help to bed because I was just delirious.'
Since her Love Island journey, life has taken a new direction. Shaughna is now a mum to daughter Lucia, and recently revealed that she's expecting her second child. She shared that her first pregnancy came as a surprise. 'I wasn't trying. I wasn't on any contraception... it just happened way quicker than I was expecting, so it was such a shock,' she said. 'I think I literally went through my contact list and just called every single person.'
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This time around, she planned a more thoughtful reveal. 'I told Billy straight away. I told my two best friends straight away, and I told my mum straight away, and then after that, I was like, right, now I need to keep my mouth shut.'
Shaughna admits she's not the best at keeping surprises. 'I've just got the biggest mouth. That's my issue. It is a blessing and a curse.'
Shaughna's weight loss has been the subject of public scrutiny, with many speculating she took Ozempic, something she firmly denies.
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'Whatever way anyone wants to achieve [weight loss] is absolutely no one else's business apart from their own,' she says. 'However, you shouldn't just assume that someone's done it with jabs... It's hard, though, when you categorically tell people the way you've done it, and they still think you're lying.'
She adds that her transformation came down to health, not image. 'I was getting out of breath walking upstairs – that's just not how I wanted to live.'
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While she became known for promoting body positivity on the show, Shaughna says the label sometimes feels limiting. 'When I came out of Love Island, I was kind of put into this box of being body positive... but I think whenever I strive to do something else, that's when I get comments.'
Even before motherhood, she says she was content. 'Before I was pregnant, I didn't have a weight problem. I'd been on national television in a bikini, I was happy, I was confident.'
Shaughna doesn't hesitate when asked about the prospect of Love Island: All Stars. 'Yeah, if my situation were different, a hundred per cent,' she says. 'Even though I've spoken to a few people who have done it and they've said, no, it's as hard, if not harder... I would just enjoy it so much.'
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Having done it once, she believes the experience would be completely different now. 'I was there for six or seven weeks, and I think it took me about three or four weeks to adjust... Whereas if I were to do it again, I would know exactly what to expect.'
From the unseen side of washing clothes – 'We all had a laundry basket in our dressing rooms, which was filthy' – to being denied medication unless administered by a medic, Shaughna says the public often have no idea what really goes on in the villa.
'People think that you're there and you are just chilling, you're sunbathing... But I promise it's not all fun and games,' she concludes. 'It is great – and don't get me wrong, if my situation were different, I would do it in a heartbeat – but it's a shock to the system.'
From heartbreak to motherhood and everything in between, Shaughna Phillips has come a long way since those first days in the Love Island villa. And as she continues to live life on her own terms, one thing is clear: she's not afraid to keep it real.