Love Island EXCLUSIVE: ‘I didn’t have the warmest of welcomes’ Francesca Allen admits she struggled at first in the ‘hostile’ villa and was ‘left out’ by the girls
She found herself in an awkward love triangle with Curtis Pritchard and Maura Higgins after entering the villa as a late arrival.
And now Francesca Allen has exclusively revealed to MailOnline that she struggled when she first joined Love Island as she didn’t have the ‘warmest of welcomes’ and was ‘left out’ by her fellow female Islanders.
The Essex clothing store manager, 23, admitted that it was a ‘shame’ that she was made to feel like an ‘outsider’ as she would always make everyone and anyone feel welcome.
Candid: Francesca Allen has exclusively revealed to MailOnline that she struggled when she first joined Love Island as she didn’t have the ‘warmest of welcomes’
Francesca added that friend Ovie Soko really helped her during the initial first few days and that she was lucky that she also had fellow newcomers Joanna Chimonides and Belle Hassan to hang out with.
The stunning Essex native also revealed that she thought she was ‘friends’ with Maura but has since discovered that she had been ‘making comments’ about her behind her back.
Francesca also credited Love Island host Caroline Flack for being ‘really kind’ and trying her best to make all the contestants feel comfortable, she also dismissed claims that the presenter ‘snubbed’ her on Sunday’s AfterSun.
Talking to MailOnline, the fashionista revealed: ‘Ovie is the realest person in there, I got along with him so well, he’s on such a level, he was one of my good friends out of all the boys.
‘Shame’: The Essex clothing store manager, 23, admitted that it was a ‘shame’ that she was made to feel like an ‘outsider’ as she would always make everyone and anyone feel welcome
‘I struggled quite a lot when I first went in there, I didn’t have the warmest of welcomes, seeing as I was so excited to get to know everyone and get chatting.
‘But I didn’t have the warmest of welcomes. So Ovie really helped me through everything, he was like: “It’s alright, it’s just like that at first.”‘
Talking about feeling like an ‘outsider’, she added: ‘I did a little, it was a shame it took them a little while to warm to me, I’m not a horrible person – I would always make everyone and anyone feel welcome.’
Francesca went on to reveal that she tried to make latest newcomers, India Reynolds and Harley Brash, feel as welcome as possible as she didn’t want them to have the same reaction.
She said: ‘As soon as India and Harley came in, I just wanted them to not feel as I felt, it was a different vibe for them than when I came in, a different situation. I was interested in someone that someone else was interested in, they both liked Ovie.
Upsetting: ‘I struggled quite a lot when I first went in there, I didn’t have the warmest of welcomes, seeing as I was so excited to get to know everyone and get chatting,’ she admitted
What a man! Francesca added that friend Ovie Soko really helped her during the initial first few days
‘The girls were a bit more welcoming than they were to me, they were excited Ovie was going to have two girls who liked him, it hadn’t happened yet. Different situation, different reception, I’m glad they got it, having my one wasn’t the best… you don’t want that.’
Francesca added that she wishes she could go back and voice to the female Islanders that she was feeling left out.
She said: ‘I am too laid back as a person, I should have voiced it to the girls that I’m feeling left out and things like that… when I didn’t, I sort of stayed quiet, I had Joanna and Belle, they are lovely.’
Talking about her supposed ‘friend’ Maura, she said: ‘Someone told me she was kind of making comments behind my back but I hadn’t seen that to my face… I don’t really know what they were, but yeah, I thought we were [friends].’
Sweet: Francesca went on to reveal that she tried to make latest newcomers, India Reynolds and Harley Brash, feel as welcome as possible as she didn’t want them to have the same reaction
Friends? Talking about her supposed ‘friend’ Maura, she said: ‘ Someone told me she was kind of making comments behind my back but I hadn’t seen that to my face…’
She added: ‘The whole thing with me and Curtis, I just kept wanting to make sure she was OK. That was kind of my priority, but she was very understanding that that’s what just happens in here.
‘I kept being like, “Are you alright?”, I didn’t want to be like too forward in a sense or upset anyone. Like when she cried after I coupled up with Curtis, she told me that wasn’t the reason, it was just because of her whole journey.
‘I felt so bad I thought, “What have I done? I’ve made someone cry!” I hate seeing people upset and crying. I thought, “Oh no”… she did say that wasn’t the main reason, it was probably partially.’
However, by the end of the show, Francesca revealed that everyone got to see her personality more and people were more accepting.
Love triangle: She added: ‘The whole thing with me and Curtis, I just kept wanting to make sure she was OK. That was kind of my priority, but she was very understanding that that’s what just happens in here.’ (Maura and Curtis pictured together)
She on her exit from the show on Sunday night: ‘Everyone started to see who I was more, especially after my coupling up speech with Michael. Everyone got to see my personality more, I felt more relaxed about it.
‘I would have liked to have stayed, everyone was more accepting I was being more myself, people saw my personality more, but things don’t get shown, not everything gets shown.’
Before her exit, Francesca added that Anna Vakili had a sweet heart-to-heart with her, leaving the Essex beauty emotional.
She said: ‘It is really overwhelming how people said such wonderful things, it’s how I’ve always been, it’s really lovely for people to appreciate who I am. I’m just being me, it’s making me happier.
What a star: However, by the end of the show, Francesca revealed that everyone got to see her personality more and people were more accepting
‘It’s just making me be more confident in myself for sure, growing as a person, Love Island really helped me believe in myself, who I am as a person, towards the end they all started to get to know me.
‘One of the evenings, I got really overwhelmed, because everyone not felt sorry for me, but Anna said, “You’ve got so much to give as a girlfriend and person, so much so to give, you’re so lovely and nice.” It made me cry.
‘I got really emotional, it was me being so kind and recognising that I’m not horrible or out to steal your man, it was so hostile in the beginning.
‘I got so overwhelmed, bless Michael, he scooped me up and ran me to toilet, he was throwing tissues at me, saying, “What’s up, why you crying?” Everyone is so lovely.’
Confidence: She said: ‘It’s just making me be more confident in myself for sure, growing as a person, Love Island really helped me believe in myself.’
Francesca went on to talk about Love Island host, Caroline Flack, and dismissed that the presenter ‘snubbed’ her on Sunday’s spin-off show AfterSun following a resurfaced tweet where she had called her a ‘dirty pedo’ back in 2012.
Talking about the situation, the tweet had stemmed from when Caroline dated Harry Styles when she was 31 and he was 17, the Essex native said: ‘Obviously I was in the villa, I had no idea what was going on in the outside.
‘Caroline had come in and she was really smiley, making me feel comfortable, she knew it was my first time I had met her. She was like, “Are you OK?” It was just lovely, there was no animosity there.
‘When that [AfterSun] happened, I’m not very good at taking direction or listening sometimes, when I was supposed to stay seated he whole time, Caroline was supposed to walk across and join the other panellists.
‘Relaxed’: She on her exit from the show on Sunday night: ‘Everyone started to see who I was more, especially after my coupling up speech with Michael. Everyone got to see my personality more, I felt more relaxed about it.’ (Francesca and Michael pictured)
‘When she stood up, I just automatically stood because she stood, my automatic reaction, one of the producers, whoever was on set, was like “SIT DOWN, what are you doing?” I was like “What are you doing?”
‘It was my first interview, I’m still learning, I did it on Lorraine as well, you have 20 seconds… I’m still getting used to it, it’s all learning curves. Caroline was really nice to me, I saw her first at the I Saw It Firs pop-up shop, she was loving my lil headband.
‘She was being really nice to me, she’s a really lovely girl, lovely woman, afterwards we were all in a room and we had a drink. I said “hi” to her again and yeah, I don’t know why this has been blown out of proportion, I don’t even use social media.
What snub? Francesca went on to talk about Love Island host, Caroline Flack, and dismissed that the presenter ‘snubbed’ her on Sunday’s spin-off show AfterSun
Confusion: ‘When she stood up, I just automatically stood because she stood, my automatic reaction, one of the producers, whoever was on set, was like “SIT DOWN, what are you doing?”,’ she explained
‘The only thing I have is Instagram. I never worried about it, I knew it wasn’t true, I knew Caroline was lovely towards me and she’s a really nice girl. That’s why I’m not stressed about it at all, brush it off, it’s not what I said!’
She added: ‘Caroline’s really nice, she knew it is all new for all of us, we are all nervous, she tries to make all of us feel as comfortable as we can. She’s kind, she’s really kind.’
MailOnline has contacted Love Island for comment.
Love Island continues on weeknights at 9pm on ITV2.
What a woman! Francesca also credited Love Island host Caroline Flack for being ‘really kind’ and trying her best to make all the contestants feel comfortable
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