Love Island sensation Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu has opened up about the surprising emotional impact of her time on Celebrity Traitors, confessing the psychological game left deeper scars than she ever anticipated.
The reality television star, who shot to fame after winning Love Island in 2022, revealed that the intense paranoia and deception required by the game format took a significant toll on her wellbeing. "I didn't realise how much it would affect me mentally," the 29-year-old admitted.
The Aftermath of Deception
Cülcüloğlu described struggling with the psychological weight of having to constantly lie to fellow contestants, many of whom she considered friends. The experience proved far more challenging than her previous reality television appearances, pushing her to emotional limits she hadn't experienced before.
"You're constantly questioning everyone's motives, even when you're not in the game," she explained. "That level of suspicion starts to seep into your everyday thinking."
A Different Kind of Reality TV
Unlike the romance-focused environment of Love Island, Celebrity Traitors demanded a completely different skillset - one built on manipulation and strategic betrayal. Cülcüloğlu confessed she underestimated how difficult she would find maintaining the necessary deceptive persona.
The Turkish actress revealed she experienced genuine emotional turmoil when having to turn against allies, describing sleepless nights and anxiety about the consequences of her in-game actions.
Support System and Recovery
Since filming concluded, Cülcüloğlu has leaned heavily on her support network, including boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti, to process the experience. She emphasised the importance of mental health awareness for reality television participants, particularly those involved in high-stakes psychological formats.
"It's crucial to have people around you who understand what you've been through," she noted. "The game might end when filming stops, but the emotional effects don't just disappear."
Her candid revelations have sparked conversations about the psychological safeguards in place for contestants on increasingly intense reality formats, with many fans praising her honesty about the very real human cost of entertainment.
