Former Love Island contestant Coco Lodge has said her life transformed the moment her mobile phone was handed back to her after leaving the villa.
Lodge, who appeared on series 8 of the ITV reality dating show as a bombshell, stayed for 12 days and was involved in a love triangle with Andrew Le Page and Tasha Ghouri. Her most memorable moment came when she disclosed to fellow Islanders that she and Andrew had been more intimate than initially believed.
Phone Return Revealed Social Media Hate
Speaking on the Channel 4 documentary UNTOLD: Life After Love Island, Lodge recalled: "The producers said to me that the (infamous scene) was iconic. Then I got my phone back and I was like hmmm." She expected to gain one or two million followers on Instagram but instead received only 30,000. "I just didn't really understand why does everyone hate me. You don't go in there to find love, it's a bonus if you do but you go in because you know what you can get after," she said.
At the time of filming the documentary in 2022, Lodge revealed she had not been paid for any work in six weeks, including fees for appearing on the show or brand partnerships. As a result, she returned to her previous job as a shot girl in nightclubs.
Worst Trolled Islander
Lodge described herself as "probably one of the worst trolled islanders they've ever had," and said she received "really evil videos and tweets about my nose, how I was the ugliest Love Island contestant ever."
Today, Lodge is a Pilates instructor and runs her own studio in Surrey. She is also reportedly dating DJ Joel Corry.
New Documentary Explores Reality Stardom
A new documentary, The Curse of Love Island, released on Prime Video on July 26, investigates the consequences of reality TV stardom in the social media era. It features input from former participants, industry figures, and close friends, examining peaks and troughs of reality television, press attention, digital harassment, and mental wellbeing.
UNTOLD: Life After Love Island is available via Channel 4 Documentaries on YouTube. The Curse of Love Island streams on Prime Video.
