Winner of Love Island All Stars, Samie Elishi, has revealed that she deliberately ignored fellow contestant Lucinda Strafford for several days during filming, while also admitting she briefly walked out during a heated moment that never aired on television.
The latest series of the reality show concluded earlier this month, with host Maya Jama announcing Samie and Ciaran Davies as the winning couple.
Other finalists included Millie Court and Zac Woodworth, Scott van der Sluis and Leanne Amaning, Lucinda Strafford and Sean Stone, along with Whitney Adebayo and Yamen Sanders.
However, the series sparked thousands of complaints to Ofcom over allegations that Lucinda was being bullied in the villa, particularly during her fallout with Belle Hassan, which later involved Samie and Jessy Potts.
Speaking on the Olivia's House podcast hosted by Olivia Attwood, Samie admitted that she intentionally avoided speaking to Lucinda during one period in the villa.
According to Samie, the tension became so strong that the two sat beside each other in the dressing room for days without exchanging a word.
She added that ignoring Lucinda initially felt easier, although she later realised it required more effort and eventually tried to be more civil.
Samie also revealed that a confrontation during the show’s dramatic movie night escalated further than viewers saw on screen.
She said she became overwhelmed during the argument and briefly walked away from the group to calm herself inside the villa.
The clash occurred after Lucinda attempted to explain her decision to pie Samie earlier in the season during the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge, a moment that triggered a heated exchange between the two contestants.
Meanwhile, Lucinda has since spoken openly about her own experience inside the villa.
In an interview on the We Need To Talk podcast hosted by Paul C Brunson, she said she often felt isolated and struggled to connect with the other girls.
Lucinda explained that even small situations, such as her makeup bag being placed slightly on Samie’s dressing table would lead to tense exchanges, adding that at times she felt she had no one in the villa to confide in except her partner Sean.
She also recalled moments when she cried alone outside the villa, saying some of those emotional scenes were never shown on television.
Despite the difficult experience, Lucinda noted that the production team looked after her well-being throughout the series.
Still, she admitted that watching certain clips back, including moments where fellow contestants mocked her, has been painful.
The reality star added that although tensions ran high during filming, she now reflects on the experience with mixed emotions as the show continues to spark debate among viewers.