Love Island winner Paige Turley reveals show secrets and the guys get MORE help with their looks than the girls
LOVE Island's Paige Turley has revealed the show secrets, including how the guys get MORE help with their looks than the girls.
The 23-year-old singer, who won Winter Love Island last year with boyfriend Finn Tapp, 21, spoke to Fabulous ahead of her this Sunday.
And although many speculate about the girls getting regular glam squad visits for hair and make-up on the ITV reality show, Paige insists this isn't the case.
She tells Fabulous: "We always did our own hair and make-up.
"The only night we got hair and make-up artists was the final, and a lot of the girls actually did their own make-up."
Paige, who was cast for her series just a week or two before jetting off to South Africa, says she was totally unprepared for filming.
She explains: "I was very last minute in terms of going on the show. I went in without even my hair being done, I was really unprepared for it.
"Because I went in over winter, everyone had already booked their hair and nail appointments for Christmastime. Trying to get bikinis in winter wasn’t the easiest."
We always did our own hair and make-up. The only night we got hair and make-up artists was the final - but the boys were able to get haircuts
Paige Turley
And, although the boys get regular haircuts in the Villa, Paige says girls don't get the same treatment.
She explains: "We got our nails done every couple of weeks and the boys were able to get haircuts.
"But we did our own hair and make-up every night. Unfortunately I had to just see it out with my hair, being a blondie it was a challenge."
The Love Island cast may be cut off from the outside world, so is there a way to get essentials like Tampons from the shop if needed?
Paige says: "Yes if there’s anything we need, you can say to a producer and they'll be able to get it for you."
At one point there was 18 people in the villa and only two showers - people didn’t have very long to get ready at all
Paige Turley
The reality star, who's from West Lothian, Scotland, says she never needed convincing to spend the day in her bikini - although she could be "lazy" in other ways.
She adds: "The producers didn’t really need to convince me to be lying by the pool.
"There were definitely days I was quite lazy on the make-up, some of the girls looked stunning by the pool and I was like ‘oh I can’t really be bothered today’, but actually lying by the pool was easy.
"I think the producers liked that because some of the girls would be getting ready for a lot longer."
Despite this, Paige says no-one's spending hours getting ready for a day of filming.
She explains: "At one point there was 18 people in the villa and only two showers, so you have to wait until everyone’s had their showers.
"Some days people didn’t have very long to get ready at all. But you have your tan and your nails look nice, so it’s not too bad."
The lack of sleep was probably the biggest thing for me. We didn't have the time in there but it was long days
Paige Turley
Love Island fans were delighted when it was confirmed a new series would air in July this week - after coronavirus halted filming last year.
Asked if there's anything she wishes she'd known before going on the show, Paige explains: "Probably the lack of sleep, that was probably the biggest thing for me.
"We didn’t have the time in there so we never really knew when the recouplings ended, we were just all over the place.
"But it’s long days, you’ve got to get everybody’s story within that hour.
"We never really knew the time, we thought we could tell during the day because of the sun but at nighttime it was just a guessing game."
Montana Brown, 25, who appeared on Love Island in 2017, recently admitted the girls were "waxing each other's vaginas" within weeks.
Asked whether the girls were equally comfortable stripping off in front of each other in the dressing room in her series, Paige laughs and says: "Yeah, you very quickly get comfortable with each other.
"I think it was maybe day three when we were like ‘I feel like I’ve known you forever’."
You very quickly get comfortable with each other. I think it was maybe day three when we were like ‘I feel like I’ve known you forever’
Paige Turley
When it comes to the eager Islanders preparing for summer 2021, Paige advises: "Just be yourself and enjoy it.
"We were so appreciative of the experience and being able to meet each other, but it’s once you come out that you look back on it and go ‘holy s*** that was amazing’.
"Very quickly you forget about the cameras and that you’re actually in there for a TV show, as they’re all dotted around the villa.
"It only really dawns when you’re at the airport afterwards, people come up to you and say your name and you’re like ‘oh s***, people were actually watching this’.
"Or when the parents came in and were able to laugh about the challenges and stuff, that’s when it dawns like ‘ohhh you actually have been watching everything we’ve been doing’."
After six weeks of living together in the Villa, Finn and Paige briefly parted ways to return to their family homes.
But just a month later, Finn packed up and drove to Scotland from Milton Keynes to spend lockdown with Paige's family, as restrictions were announced.
The couple have now set up home in Manchester, a mid-way point between their families.
And although she's excited for lockdown easing, Paige says she has no plans to spend less time with Finn.
She says: "We met under strange circumstances but it’s all we’ve ever known. I think it’s definitely how we’ll stay now.
"I think we’ve always looked at it like lockdown was the time when we could cement the basics of our relationship.
"Obviously it started very accelerated being on a show and instantly living with each other.
"But I think in previous series, couples have been up and down the country and work things have got in the way, whereas we’ve had that time together.
"Although we’ve not had the experience with events, we’ve had the experience with each other which is good."
Paige is now planning a beer garden date with her fellow Love Island girls for bestie Shaughna Phillips' birthday later this month.
She says: "It will be nice to see her and Sophie, Leanne is maybe coming.
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"It will be nice to see the girls again because we’ve not had the chance to meet up properly since the show."
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Stream An Audience with Paige Turley, hosted by Capital FM DJ Will Manning, this Sunday 11 April 9-10pm. Tickets are available now via the .
Paige will be performing with her band and doing a live Instagram Q&A.