05 February 2024 , 21:06
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Megan Barton-Hanson has shared her regrets over her abrupt exit from Love Island Games last year - fearing fans think she looked like she got pied.
The 29-year-old reality star first found fame on Love Island back in 2018 during the fourth season of the show - where she partnered with 25-year-old Wes Nelson and made it all the way to the final where they ended in fourth place. Last year she took part in Love Island Games - which took former contestants from international versions of Love Island and flew them to Fiji in order to undertake a series of challenges.
But while the sun-soaked show looked glamorous to viewers, behind-the-scenes was a different story as various cast members were struck down with food poisoning. Megan feared she too had contracted food poisoning - but her symptoms became so bad she had to be rushed to hospital.
Selecting on her time on the show in an interview with the Daily Star, Megan recalled: “Everyone was getting food poisoning out there because obviously Fiji it's different water, it's just different everything, at first I thought it was food poisoning but by day three of it, it was not good and you don't want to be in a villa full of hot people needing to use the bathroom constantly.”
Megan was a contestant on the show but suffered an abrupt exit (Vince Valitutti/PEACOCK/ITV via Getty Images)
The star was struck down by food poisoning and had to leave - just after coming face to face with an ex (WENN)After 72 hours, Megan became more concerned as her condition had not improved - and she was forced to drop out to seek medical attention. She recalls: "I was sweating. I couldn't even stand up straight because I had such bad abdominal pain and then they wanted to keep me in the hospital over there but I was like 'nah just get me home."
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But Megan fears viewers were given the wrong impression by her sudden exit. Her illness began just as her ex-boyfriend, Eyal Booker, 28, had just entered the villa and they had engaged in an awkward conversation. Due to editing, it appeared as if Megan had darted out of the house immediately after.
She complained: "It was super annoying because everyone in there knew that I was super ill and that I was out sleeping on the sofa because I had such a bad fever. But to the viewers it literally looked like I got pied and I went 'oh well I'm off then'."
Megan's insights into Love Island Games comes just days after she let her guard down with fans to let them know she is not always as confident as her online persona would suggest. She made her confession after bursting into tears while on her way to a photoshoot.
She told followers: “I never post about how I feel but I’m off to shoot with my absolute favourites! And I’ve cried and nearly cancelled all because I[‘m] not as slim as I was last year! Like what?! Why am I putting so much weight on my weight? I just wanted to be honest not everything is as perfect as it seems. I’m so blessed my job is playing dress up and getting to work with amazing creatives! But sometimes you won’t feel [100%] and that’s fine.
"I’m pushing myself to get out your [comfort] zone no matter how ‘toned’ or skinny I feel. I’m so blessed I can call this work and have to opportunity to shoot with these talented humans!"
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