I was Love Island’s most complained about contestant ever but therapy saved me, says Faye Winter

HER fiery temper made Faye Winter one of Love Island’s most notorious characters.

Viewers were so appalled by her rants in the 2021 telly villa that watchdog Ofcom received a record 25,000 complaints.

A year on, Faye will tonight enter the pressure cooker that is the Celebrity MasterChef.

But she insists she would never dare to as much as raise her voice to the BBC One show’s judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Faye, 26, says: “When they asked me to do the show I was like, ‘Really? Who, me?’ It’s this massive BBC One show, the line-up is insane and the programme is legendary.

“It was an incredible thing for me to do and, although appearing with John and Gregg made me question if I was doing right or wrong, I’ve got so much respect for them.

“I felt like a kid at school — you know, when you wouldn’t dare answer a teacher back.

“There are certain people in this world that I would answer back but neither Gregg nor John are one of them.”

That will come as a surprise to Love Island viewers, who watched former estate agent Faye cause a storm as she ranted and raved over villa partner Teddy Soares.

In one of several spats, Faye erupted after she saw an out-of-context clip of Teddy admitting he was sexually attracted to another Casa Amor bombshell.

While Faye and Teddy went on to take third place in the final, Faye faced a barrage of criticism after she left the villa.

But she credits the hate for helping her get back on track. Since the show she has been having therapy.

Faye, who is still loved-up with Teddy, said: “There was my behaviour inside the villa. I did do wrong.

'I lost myself'

“But if I wasn’t in that high- pressured environment I don’t think I’d have learned as quickly as I did in that situation.

“It helped me more than it hindered me. I didn’t even realise I needed therapy until I went into the Love Island villa.

“I did feel like I lost myself when I came out of the show.

“You get offered all these deals and you’re like, I should be doing this that and the other.

“But I didn’t go into the villa for a change in career. I loved being an estate agent. I love housing, and I loved the routine of having a full-time job.

“So it was a pretty drastic life change for me.

“Suddenly I found myself living in an unfamiliar area, doing work that I wasn’t really enjoying and having no routine, which I really struggled with.”

Faye realised she needed more help than that offered by an ITV-affiliated therapist.

She went on: “I’m still in therapy and I think I’ll be doing it for a long time.

I’ve always been very outspoken, I am myself, and if I need a bit of help along the way, then that’s OK.

Faye Winter

“I’ve always been very outspoken, I am myself, and if I need a bit of help along the way, then that’s OK.

“I’ve been very open and honest about what I’ve had done.

“The backlash was hard to deal with, I still have so many blocked words on my Instagram account and it took me a while before I could look at those words.”

Faye and Teddy now live in a Berkshire village, meaning they can travel to see her family in Devon as well as commute to London for work.

'I’m just embracing myself'

It is the stability Faye needed - and means she can spend as much time as possible in the kitchen.

She said: “Teddy loves me in my pyjamas with a top knot on my head, he’ll come into the kitchen and be like, you’re cooking up a storm aren’t you.

“He knows I mean business when I’ve got the top knot!

“I don’t actually get dressed up as much as I should but he loves me just the way I am.”

Viewers will tonight see Faye compete against McFly singer Danny Jones, comedian Kae Kurd, actor and comedian Paul Chuckle and Nancy Dell’Olio in the first round of Celebrity MasterChef.

Faye was chuffed to be invited.

She said: “My mum’s always cooked. I’m very proud of where I’m from.

“I grew up in a three-bed semi, my dad was a HGV driver and my mum is a cleaner, she was a nurse back in the day.

I’m still in therapy and I think I’ll be doing it for a long time.

Faye Winter

“I’m from a very humble background. I’m from a normal working-class family

“We’ve never been to Michelin-starred restaurants and my dad would judge the food in our local pubs on how much grub was on the plate.

“I’d been offered a few other TV projects but I wanted to take my time and do something I love.”

The show also offers Faye a chance to show viewers a different side — and she is emerged as an early favourite to take the title.

It is a long way from the hate she received online following Love Island, where trolls slated her looks and plastic surgery, which included a boob job, facial fillers and fake lips.

Faye says: “I’m more stripped back and you’ll see that on MasterChef. Everyone is going to see a completely different side to me.

“I’ve had my lip filler removed. I have had it redone with a much smaller amount, I’m just very happy with the way that I look.

“I don’t wear fake eyelashes and fake tan every day anymore, I’m just embracing myself.”

She added: “The way I see it now is, I’m perfect at being imperfect and I’m ok with that.”

• The new series of Celebrity MasterChef returns to BBC One tonight at 8pm.