Devon’s very own Love Island star, Faye Winter has revealed which couple she would like to see win Love Island. Talking to DevonLive, Faye spoke about her journey to the Love Island Villa back in 2021 for the seventh season of ITV’s hottest dating show and how it propelled her life in a completely different direction.
Born and raised in Exeter, Faye shot to fame after appearing on Love Island, leaving her job as an estate agent behind and placing third in the show with partner Teddy Soares.
Talking to DevonLive, Faye said that she never expected to be accepted on the hit show, saying that you rarely see people from this part of the country on shows like that. Faye also revealed that she never formally applied to be on the show and instead received a message on Instagram from producers inviting her to the screening process.
Read more: Strictly's Giovanni Pernice forced to pull out of show
She said: ”I actually got a message on Instagram, I never even thought about doing the show. I didn’t even think about it. Not many people from down here do the show, it's normally people that are more London based, people who are definitely used to that lifestyle.
“But they [producers] just messaged me on Instagram and I remember getting the message and thinking ‘this is so weird’. I was like I will never get to the show, I’m never going to do it but what an experience to even go through the process. How cool would it be to say that I've spoken to the producers of Love Island.
“It was such a surreal experience and the more that I was going into it and having zoom calls and meeting with production, I was like oh wow there is a whole big behind the scenes that goes on.
“We only ever see the tip of the iceberg, the people behind it and the people that work there are all so amazing. From the researchers to the welfare to runners, they're all so incredible, it's like this whole other world and it's crazy.
“I would never have gone on [Love Island] unless they approached me. I never would have applied for it - I never would have thought that I would have got on it.
“I just thought like, go on I'll run with it probably won't do it, but then I did get told I was doing it, then I thought like okay I'll be there a couple of days and then I'll be back and then after 8 weeks I was like what's going on.
When asked about the current season of the ITV show, Faye confessed that although a lot of the contestants have made personal progress over the course of the weeks, there is one that she would love to see crowned the winner.
She confessed “I want Whitney and Lochan to win, but at this point I think Whitney could win completely on her own, like I absolutely adore her energy and I think she is incredible.
“She's a strong woman and I really like strong women. I appreciate everything that she brings to the table.
“I don’t know who's going to win it other than that, I do really like Sammy and Jess and I think they’ve been through so much as a couple and we’ve really seen Sammy and Jess grow, so I would like them.
“But then Ella and Tyrique have grown and I think all of them have been on journeys in there, but my favourite to win would be Whitney.”
Faye continued to explain how her life had changed since starring on the show back in 2021. She continued: “Obviously my life has changed massively, I really tried to stay as I was before. I have amazing friends from the show which are all incredible.
“Now I get to go to amazing red carpets and work with amazing brands, things I never thought I'd do, and I get an even bigger voice for things that I loved prior to the show.
“Working with the Guide Dogs who I worked with so closely in Exeter for years and years and years before I went on the show, to now have this platform that allows me to speak about it even more, and raise more awareness and try and bring more to the charity. It's just unreal.
“I really tried to stick with things that are true to me, I was brought up with five golden retrievers, in a house that was full of animal lovers so to be able to sue my platform and still do things that I really care about, it's just incredible and the people that you meet, whether it is fans of the show or anything you just get this whole community around you that is so incredible.
Faye has used her platform since leaving the show to showcase the amazing work that the Guide Dogs charity does for people. She regularly posts her visits to the centre, not forgetting her own adorable four legged companion, Bonnie, with hopes to inspire more people to lend their time to the charity. She has been nominated as a Celebrity Charity Champion in the National Third Sector Charity Awards that take place on September 22 for her continued work.
