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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I interviewed Love Island's Sophie Lee weeks after her ‘face fell off' – she's overcome ‘constant' pain & a month in ICU
LOVE Islanders are notorious for scrubbing their social media in the days leading up to the Villa, leaving only the most polished snaps up on their feeds. But open Sophie Lee's page even today and the photos pinned to the top, from 2019 and 2020, show her with huge swollen scars protruding from her face. 10 Sophie Lee nearly died when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face, as she was fire dancing at a nightclub Credit: Sophie Lee 10 She developed keyloid scars as a result, which had to later be frozen off as they threatened to 'engulf her face' Credit: Sophie Lee 10 Sophie Lee is among those entering the Love Island villa on Monday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Personally I'm not surprised. As someone who interviewed Sophie twice right in the thick of her struggles, I know she's different from some of the ultra-superficial women who grace our screens in their bikinis. When I first spoke to Manchester-based Sophie, she was 23, and it was days before Christmas 2018. Fabulous was one of the first publications to share her story with the world. Airy and bright during our chat, you'd have no idea what she was going through without visual proof. Her attitude was amazing, especially for someone so young. A professional fire dancer, Sophie was permanently scarred when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face in a freak accident in April 2018. After her face went up in flames, she spent a month in intensive care, and emerged from the trauma with a whole new attitude on life. In her own words, the accident made Sophie 'toughen up and grow a thicker skin'. She told me: 'I just have to accept myself for me. I think sometimes people stare because they don't know how to ask. It's not intentionally rude, I think they're just curious and don't know what to say. "I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened.' Love Island weight loss plans, makeovers and even non-surgical tweakments are now common-place among the contestants, all religiously documented on social media as the competitive TV show enters its 10th year. All Stars' Gabby Allen even flogged her pre-villa fitness plan when she emerged as the show's most recent winner. Love Island's New Star Fire Breather Sophie Lee's Shocking Injury Story Sophie, who had a five-figure following as an influencer well before Love Island came knocking, wasn't immune to body confidence concerns before her accident. She told me: 'In school I went through that phase of 'oh, I'm massive, I'm this and that,' because I think you naturally do when you're that age. 'Everyone's judging each other, you're growing boobs, you're like 'oh, I don't know what this is'. I think everyone kind of has body issues going through high school. 'All my friends had big boobs or had legs, and I've always been a bit up and down on the scale of my weight. 'Especially with the industry I was in (of dance and performing), I was always scrutinised for how you look. "But with this accident it's crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been." 10 Sophie was a professional fire dancer before her accident Credit: Instagram 10 It's been six and a half years since Fabulous' Josie Griffiths first interviewed her Credit: instagram/sophirelee 10 After having cryo surgery, Sophie couldn't leave the house without a black mask on Credit: Sophie Lee Despite early signs her facial scars were healing well, Sophie later developed dramatic keloids on her chin. Keloids are benign tumours which grow in areas of trauma and are more common in people with olive or black skin, or in Sophie's case having Chinese heritage. She said: "Dancing's all about getting dressed up, glitz and glam, I've always loved that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not myself and I know I'll never be myself again. "That's something I have to accept and it has been hard to accept that - but also without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden.' We spoke for a second time in June 2019, just weeks after Sophie had ground-breaking cryo surgery. Never one to shy away from the gruesome details, or hide behind edited pics, Sophie's PR pitched the story to me with an email entitled 'My face came off in my hands.' Without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden Sophie Lee Explaining the NHS-funded op at the time, Sophie said: "The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. Liquid nitrogen was pumped in to kill it. "At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous. 'In hospital I just felt like a giant slug, I couldn't move or do anything. "Then it just started leaking liquid nitrogen. Over the space of two months, it was starting to dry out and peel away. "It was horrendous, the skin was dying and it was on my face. I couldn't really move my neck, it was just so painful. The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous Sophie Lee "When it actually detached I couldn't feel anything, because it had already died. "But at the start it was really raw, fresh skin. Showering was unbearable. "For a good month I couldn't really do anything. I had to change the dressings at least twice a day - they were soaking wet all the time. "I couldn't leave the house because I had to take so many dressings and pads with me." 10 Sophie's story will be what sets her apart from the other Love Islanders Credit: sophirelee/Instagram 10 Sophie's scars were 'angry and violent' before she had them removed Credit: Instagram/@sophirelee She now keeps her dead skin in the freezer, in a small Tupperware box, explaining it's "next to the peas, no big deal". Sophie, who's been celibate for eight months, had the treatment in March 2019, as her tumours threatened to engulf her face. She told me: "Keloid scarring is a form of benign tumour, it was going to carry on growing and slowly overtake my face. "It was very painful and becoming a big burden. I had started to lose movement on my neck, because it was growing so rapidly. "The scars got so big you couldn't see my neck, it came down to my chin. "Because of my ethnicity, being Chinese, it was really angry and violent. "The longer I left it, the bigger the keloids would have gotten. I was in so much pain and it was starting to alter my expressions on my face." 10 She now keeps her dead skin 'in the freezer, next to the peas' Credit: Instagram 10 Sophie has always wanted to turn what happened to her into a positive Credit: Instagram Sophie always wanted to turn what had happened to her into a positive, raising awareness of injuries even in her early 20s. She said: 'I've got a younger sister who's 16 years old, that was the age when I was comparing myself a lot. 'And I just want her to know that, your big sister can still do it and represent girls, I want her to feel proud of me. 'She looks up to a lot of my friends, looks up to me and I want to be that good example for her. 'It's important to mould the next generation, not the current generation. I want to put them in a good mindset.' Despite Sophie's sunny disposition, she was clearly hugely affected by what had happened to her, which may be why it's taken her six years to say yes to Love Island (I'd be stunned if they hadn't approached her for previous years). She told me in 2019: "I try not to think negatively, but I am in pain and you do think 'when is this going to be over?' I'm constantly suffering. "Even now I can't go outside when it's sunny without having to cover up my whole face, because it's fresh skin and I'll get burnt really fast. 'I wear a black mask to protect it. It's healed underneath but just to be safe. "I don't want to risk getting burnt, it's not worth it. I'm still healing. "But I am in the best hands and it's important to talk about the good and the bad, because that means I can help others in this situation. "I'm a normal person, I have feelings, I'm not just living this amazing life. I do have my down days, and it's OK to feel like that." As Sophie jets off to sunny Mallorca to enter the villa on Monday, where temperatures are reaching 32C, the lack of black mask will be a stark reminder of how far she has come.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I interviewed Love Island's Sophie Lee weeks after her ‘face fell off' – she's overcome ‘constant' pain & a month in ICU
LOVE Islanders are notorious for scrubbing their social media in the days leading up to the Villa, leaving only the most polished snaps up on their feeds. But open Advertisement 10 Sophie Lee nearly died when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face, as she was fire dancing at a nightclub Credit: Sophie Lee 10 She developed keyloid scars as a result, which had to later be frozen off as they threatened to 'engulf her face' Credit: Sophie Lee 10 Sophie Lee is among those entering the Love Island villa on Monday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Personally I'm not surprised. As someone who interviewed Sophie twice right in the thick of her struggles, I know she's different from some of the ultra-superficial women who When I first spoke to Manchester-based Sophie, she was 23, and it was days before Christmas 2018. Fabulous was one of the first publications to share her story with the world. Airy and bright during our chat, you'd have no idea what she was going through without visual proof. Her attitude was amazing, especially for someone so young. A professional fire dancer, Sophie was permanently scarred when an Advertisement Read more surgery storie After her face went up in flames, she spent a month in intensive care, and emerged from the trauma with a whole new attitude on life. In her own words, the accident made Sophie 'toughen up and grow a thicker skin'. She told me: 'I just have to accept myself for me. I think sometimes people stare because they don't know how to ask. It's not intentionally rude, I think they're just curious and don't know what to say. "I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened.' Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Exclusive Love Island weight loss plans, All Stars' Love Island's New Star Fire Breather Sophie Lee's Shocking Injury Story Sophie, who had a five-figure following as an influencer well before She told me: 'In school I went through that phase of 'oh, I'm massive, I'm this and that,' because I think you naturally do when you're that age. Advertisement 'Everyone's judging each other, you're growing boobs, you're like 'oh, I don't know what this is'. I think everyone kind of has body issues going through high school. 'All my friends had big boobs or had legs, and I've always been a bit up and down on the scale of my weight. 'Especially with the industry I was in (of dance and performing), I was always scrutinised for how you look. "But with this accident it's crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been." Advertisement 10 Sophie was a professional fire dancer before her accident Credit: Instagram 10 It's been six and a half years since Fabulous' Josie Griffiths first interviewed her Credit: instagram/sophirelee 10 After having cryo surgery, Sophie couldn't leave the house without a black mask on Credit: Sophie Lee Despite early signs her facial scars were healing well, Sophie later developed dramatic keloids on her chin. Advertisement Keloids are benign tumours which grow in areas of trauma and are more common in people with olive or black skin, or in Sophie's case having Chinese heritage. She said: "Dancing's all about getting dressed up, glitz and glam, I've always loved that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not myself and I know I'll never be myself again. "That's something I have to accept and it has been hard to accept that - but also without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden.' We spoke for a second time in June 2019, just weeks after Advertisement Never one to shy away from the gruesome details, or hide behind edited pics, Sophie's PR pitched the story to me with an email entitled 'My face came off in my hands.' Without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden Sophie Lee Explaining the NHS-funded op at the time, Sophie said: "The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. Liquid nitrogen was pumped in to kill it. "At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous. 'In hospital I just felt like a giant slug, I couldn't move or do anything. Advertisement "Then it just started leaking liquid nitrogen. Over the space of two months, it was starting to dry out and peel away. "It was horrendous, the skin was dying and it was on my face. I couldn't really move my neck, it was just so painful. The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous Sophie Lee "When it actually detached I couldn't feel anything, because it had already died. "But at the start it was really raw, fresh skin. Showering was unbearable. Advertisement "For a good month I couldn't really do anything. I had to change the dressings at least twice a day - they were soaking wet all the time. "I couldn't leave the house because I had to take so many dressings and pads with me." 10 Sophie's story will be what sets her apart from the other Love Islanders Credit: sophirelee/Instagram 10 Sophie's scars were 'angry and violent' before she had them removed Credit: Instagram/@sophirelee Advertisement Sophie, She told me: "Keloid scarring is a form of benign tumour, it was going to carry on growing and slowly overtake my face. "It was very painful and becoming a big burden. I had started to lose movement on my neck, because it was growing so rapidly. Advertisement "The scars got so big you couldn't see my neck, it came down to my chin. "Because of my ethnicity, being Chinese, it was really angry and violent. "The longer I left it, the bigger the keloids would have gotten. I was in so much pain and it was starting to alter my expressions on my face." 10 She now keeps her dead skin 'in the freezer, next to the peas' Credit: Instagram Advertisement 10 Sophie has always wanted to turn what happened to her into a positive Credit: Instagram Sophie always wanted to turn what had happened to her into a positive, raising awareness of injuries even in her early 20s. She said: 'I've got a younger sister who's 16 years old, that was the age when I was comparing myself a lot. 'And I just want her to know that, your big sister can still do it and represent girls, I want her to feel proud of me. Advertisement 'She looks up to a lot of my friends, looks up to me and I want to be that good example for her. 'It's important to mould the next generation, not the current generation. I want to put them in a good mindset.' Despite Sophie's sunny disposition, she was clearly hugely affected by what had happened to her, which may be why it's taken her six years to say yes to Love Island (I'd be stunned if they hadn't approached her for previous years). She told me in 2019: "I try not to think negatively, but I am in pain and you do think 'when is this going to be over?' I'm constantly suffering. Advertisement "Even now I can't go outside when it's sunny without having to cover up my whole face, because it's fresh skin and I'll get burnt really fast. 'I wear a black mask to protect it. It's healed underneath but just to be safe. "I don't want to risk getting burnt, it's not worth it. I'm still healing. "But I am in the best hands and it's important to talk about the good and the bad, because that means I can help others in this situation. Advertisement "I'm a normal person, I have feelings, I'm not just living this amazing life. I do have my down days, and it's OK to feel like that." As Sophie jets off to sunny Mallorca to enter the villa on Monday, where temperatures are reaching 32C, the lack of black mask will be a stark reminder of how far she has come.
Scottish Sun
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Watch Love Island's Rebecca explode at ‘cheating' ex Biggs in first look at Amanda Holden's new Netflix show
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE Islanders Rebecca Gormley and Biggs Chris collide in an explosive showdown on Amanda Holden's new Netflix show. The exes have reunited as stars of Cheat: Unfinished Business. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Amanda with dating guru co-star Paul, pictured for their new Netflix show 7 The couples have unfinished business to hash out on the show 7 Furious Rebecca confronts Biggs in the Reckoning Room 7 Rebecca and Biggs confront cheating in their relationship in the Netflix series The pair flew to a brand new Majorca villa to rehash the collapse of their relationship as part of the new series. And it seriously kicks off in the teaser trailer. Rebecca is seen hurling accusations at Biggs across a table filled with scorned partners confronting their past. There are tears and tantrums as couples face their issues with the help of Celebs Go Dating relationship guru Paul C. Brunson. Amanda says in the trailer: "Cheating is one of the most heartbreaking betrayals ... it's time to face your ex." Rebecca and Chris are then seen clashing in the villa's Reckoning Room. "I'm here to make this work," Chris says. Rebecca shoots him a filthy look, before snapping: "Now do you know how it feels when you cheat on someone?" Despite breaking up nearly four years ago, it seems that there's still some unfinished business between the two. They met on the winter series of Love Island back in January 2020, though didn't get together until after the show was over. Amanda Holden & Paul C Brunson reveal secrets to better sex - and what counts as cheating Their romance immediately hit a bump just two months into the relationship when she spent the night at Michael Griffiths' flat. However, Rebecca, Biggs and Michael all deny anything happened – with Michael instead letting her crash on his couch after a messy night. Sadly, Rebecca confirmed she had split from Biggs in August 2021 - despite Biggs announcing plans for them to marry and even building a house in Glasgow for them to live. Biggs later claimed they had ended their relationship as he was looking to settle down and start a family while she was still enjoying a party lifestyle. While Rebecca has not had a public relationship since their split, Biggs started dating influencer Summer Hawkins, also known as Sumerica. Cheat: Unfinished Business is Amanda's streaming debut on Netflix and launches on April 30. 7 Biggs in his promo photo for Cheat: Unfinished Business 7 Biggs shot to fame on Love Island in 2020 Credit: Rex
The Irish Sun
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Watch Love Island's Rebecca explode at ‘cheating' ex Biggs in first look at Amanda Holden's new Netflix show
LOVE Islanders Rebecca Gormley and Biggs Chris collide in an explosive showdown on Amanda Holden's new Netflix show. The exes have reunited as stars of Cheat: Unfinished Business. 7 Amanda with dating guru co-star Paul, pictured for their new Netflix show 7 The couples have unfinished business to hash out on the show 7 Furious Rebecca confronts Biggs in the Reckoning Room 7 Rebecca and Biggs confront cheating in their relationship in the Netflix series The pair flew to a brand new Majorca villa to rehash the collapse of their relationship as part of the new series. And it seriously kicks off in the teaser trailer. Rebecca is seen hurling accusations at Biggs across a table filled with scorned partners confronting their past. There are tears and tantrums as couples face their issues with the help of Celebs Go Dating relationship guru Paul C. Brunson. READ MORE ON NETFLIX Amanda says in the trailer: "Cheating is one of the most heartbreaking betrayals ... it's time to face your ex." Rebecca and Chris are then seen clashing in the villa's Reckoning Room. "I'm here to make this work," Chris says. Rebecca shoots him a filthy look, before snapping: "Now do you know how it feels when you cheat on someone?" Most read in Reality Despite breaking up nearly four years ago, it seems that there's still some unfinished business between the two. They met on the winter series of Love Island back in January 2020, though didn't get together until after the show was over. Amanda Holden & Paul C Brunson reveal secrets to better sex - and what counts as cheating Their romance immediately hit a bump just two months into the relationship when However, Rebecca, Biggs and Michael all deny anything happened – with Michael instead letting her crash on his couch after a messy night. Sadly, Rebecca confirmed Biggs later While Rebecca has not had a public relationship since their split, Biggs started dating influencer Summer Hawkins, also known as Sumerica. Cheat: Unfinished Business is Amanda's streaming debut on Netflix and launches on April 30. 7 Biggs in his promo photo for Cheat: Unfinished Business 7 Biggs shot to fame on Love Island in 2020 Credit: Rex 7 He coupled up with stunner Rebecca Gormley Credit: ITV
