Love Island viewers urged to 'think hard' before directing hate at South Shields' Lillie Haynes

A message posted on Love Island contestant Lillie Haynes's Instagram account has called for viewers to "think hard" before directing hate towards her on social media.
Lillie and Millie meet.Lillie and Millie meet.
Lillie and Millie meet.

Friday night's episode of the ITV2 show saw the 22-year-old trainee accountant reveal to love rival Millie Court that Liam Reardon had been unfaithful to her while in Casa Amor.

The pair had shared a bed and kissed, but Liam still decided to stay partnered up with Millie and return to the main villa solo.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In an unexpected twist, Lillie then appeared in the main villa to disclose that she and Liam had enjoyed a brief relationship during their time away, prompting shock from Millie.

Lillie Haynes from South Shields exited the show after just a few days. Image by ITV.Lillie Haynes from South Shields exited the show after just a few days. Image by ITV.
Lillie Haynes from South Shields exited the show after just a few days. Image by ITV.

A message posted on Lillie's Instagram account after the scenes aired praised her for "going into the villa and dropping the truth bomb".

It continued: "Our girl went into this experience hoping to find a connection with a guy who felt the same way but unfortunately she didn't find him.

"Just like every other islander Lillie was perfectly entitled to get to know everyone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Both Jake & Teddy made it very clear they wanted to return to their girls and slept on the day beds, so full respect to those guys.

Lillie and Millie meet.Lillie and Millie meet.
Lillie and Millie meet.

"The other lads wanted to get to know the new girls, share their beds and kiss them etc.

"Only one person has behaved badly towards Millie and it most definitely was NOT Lillie.

"The truth will always come out ... and probably sooner than you think."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It continued: "Have your comments below as always and that includes Millie's fans, we too like Millie but think hard before typing and who you direct any hate towards.

"Better still, Don't hate #bekind and remember these are just a group of gorgeous young people enjoying the holiday experience of a lifetime for an entertainment TV show.

"They all want the same things, Love, Happiness, 50K, insta followers and the PLT deal you would be very naive to think otherwise."

It comes after death threats aimed at fellow contestant Chloe Burrows early in the series were condemned by both her family and ITV.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They came after Chloe chose to recouple with Aaron Francis, leaving Shannon Singh single and leading her to be dumped from the show.

Ahead of the return of the series, ITV published duty of care protocols for contestants, who will be offered a minimum of eight therapy sessions on their return home and will receive training on the impact of social media and "how to handle potential negativity", as well as training on financial management.

Among the processes detailed for all contributors on Love Island are "comprehensive psychological support", "detailed conversations on the impact of participation on the show" and a "proactive aftercare package", ITV said.

Lillie felt ‘mislead’

After leaving the show, Lillie told the Sun on Sunday: “When I found out Liam hadn’t chosen me, I felt ­misled. He’d been giving me what I wanted to hear and I was convinced he was the one.

“He made me feel as if I had a really strong chance of going back to the villa with him. He was very hands-on — we were like a couple in there.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“So, I definitely thought I was going to get picked. When he chose to go back alone, I was shocked.

“Then when I walked into the villa with the other girls, I didn’t like how Liam had Millie’s necklace and his arm around her after how he’d been with me.”

She added: “It wouldn’t have been nice of me to stand there and let her be happy and lovey, thinking: ‘Oh, he’s come back’ when she was being mugged off.”

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.