Love Island star admits 'I couldn't breathe' after terrifying fire accident
A woman who once fought for her life after a devastating on-stage accident may now be stepping into the spotlight for a very different reason - to find love on Love Island. Sophie Lee, a Manchester-born dancer-turned-model, endured a life-altering ordeal in 2019 while performing in Chicago.
Just 22 at the time, Sophie was performing a fire-breathing routine when a powerful air conditioning system blew a fireball back into her face and chest. 'The air-con was too strong so when I blew the fire out it blew back to me. It set me on fire,' Sophie told Fabulous Magazine.
'I just remember being in so much pain, I blacked out for a little bit. It's crazy. It happened in front of everyone and I had to get on with it as professionally and quickly as I could. As soon as I got into the ambulance, I was in bits."
The injuries were catastrophic. Alone in the U.S., Sophie spent a month in intensive care, relying on machines to stay alive. 'That was a scary, scary time. I couldn't breathe by yourself, I couldn't eat, I couldn't really see, it was scary,' she said. 'I was pretty out of it but on day two I looked in the mirror and just cried."
As she recovered, Sophie faced the emergence of a facial tumour resulting from the burns, which transformed her appearance permanently. But from that trauma came a rebirth - one that now has her put her in the run for reality TV fame.
No longer the young woman clinging to life in a hospital bed, Sophie, now 29, has built a career in beauty and fashion, rising as a sought-after influencer and winner of the 2023 Beauty Awards' Influencer of the Year. She's collaborated with major brands, become an ambassador for the Katie Piper Foundation, and even authored a memoir titled In My Skin.
Her remarkable comeback has reportedly drawn the attention of Love Island producers, who are currently assembling the cast for the upcoming season launching June 9. 'She's in the mix for this year's cast, with execs deciding soon if she will be in the original line-up or a bombshell,' said a show insider.
Sophie is a gorgeous girl and a powerhouse of a woman who has overcome everything life has thrown at her. Just like Tasha Ghouri 's amazing time in the villa where she raised awareness for the hearing impaired, Love Island bosses are thrilled to give Sophie the same platform to discuss her accident and how she's become comfortable in her skin since.'
Despite the show's reputation for superficiality, the insider said: 'Love Island has always tried to be about more than just looks and Sophie is a classic example of an Islander with real substance.'
ITV hasn't confirmed the full cast yet, but anticipation is growing - the show's twelve previous seasons have generated a staggering two billion streams on ITVX.
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As for Sophie, her focus isn't on fame, but purpose. 'Life since the accident is definitely something I didn't expect because I just see myself as someone who went through something and thought my story could help others,' she has said.
'My aim was never to get awards or receive that type of attention. With the platform I have now, I feel like I have not only a responsibility to others but a responsibility to myself to be a better person everyday and to always be evolving."
'If people were to take a message from my story I'd say that beauty is always skin deep and your life is perfect just as it is,' she added. 'You just need to be yourself and accepting of life's roller coaster so love your perfectly imperfect life.'
The Mirror has contacted Love Island for comment.
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