Jacques O’Neill has claimed that producers told him he looked “silly” when he was on Love Island.
The rugby player, 23, was a contestant on the last series of the ITV dating show, but left in order to prioritise his mental health.
He was coupled up with Paige Thorne before playing away during Casa Amor.
READ MORE: Love Island’s Jacques was ‘going into a bad place’ before dramatic villa exit
Opening up about his villa experience on Scott Thomas’ Learning About Judgement podcast, Jacques said he was told he looked silly when he tried to sleep outside to remain loyal to Paige.
“Luca (Bish) slept outside the first night and I was prepared to do that as well,” he said.
(Image: Youtube)
“Because I didn’t want Luca being by himself and I was like, it’s respectful anyway. And do you know what really got into my head, because the first day the girls come in, people have said this, I was like a light switch, I just changed.
“And I’m so glad I’m being able to speak about it because I want people to know.”
He went on: “I followed Luca out the first night, we went out together. They come on the tannoy, and they go, ‘Jacques you look silly’.
(Image: ITV)
“I was like, ‘Pardon, what do you mean I look silly?’ I started speaking into my mic, ‘What do you mean? Come on tell me?’ And they are like, ‘No we don’t mean that, just go to bed’.
“So I go straight to the Beach Hut and say, ‘Why do I look silly? Tell me why I look silly, what’s happening?’
“They say, ‘No we don’t mean it like that, it looks like you’re following Luca,’ and I’m like, ‘No no no it’s deeper than that, if I’m looking silly mate, I’m not being a mug.’
“I have got a lot of pride and I don’t want to be mugged off. So I thought, if I’m looking silly I’m going to wake up tomorrow and crack on.
(Image: ITV)
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“And that’s where I changed. I literally woke up the next morning and I was saying to Dami (Hope), ‘OK let’s test it’.
“Because they were then saying in the Beach Hut, ‘Do you not think you need to test your connection?’ And I’m like, well, after last night if I’m looking silly then yeah I do, I do need to test my connection, let’s go.”
Discussing whether his actions were influenced by the Love Island producers, he said: “I’m old enough to make my own mistakes and deal with the consequences.”
Daily Star has contacted ITV for comment.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
