Former Love Island contestant Wes Nelson is facing a New Year's Eve operation after suffering a severe injury playing football over the Christmas period.
A Festive Game Turns Painful
The 27-year-old reality TV star, who found fame on the 2018 series of Love Island, revealed he snapped his Achilles tendon during a casual kickabout. Taking to social media, Nelson shared a photo of his bandaged foot with a caption explaining the mishap. "Decided to play football for the first time in years… Snapped my Achilles," he wrote, later joking about retiring from the sport in favour of golf.
Initially, the extent of the injury was unclear, but a recent update confirmed the need for surgical intervention. On Wednesday, Nelson posted an image to his Instagram Stories showing him on a hospital stretcher with a full leg plaster cast, extending from his ankle to just below his knee.
From the Villa to the Hospital Ward
Wes Nelson, who entered the Love Island villa on day one of Series 4 and finished in fourth place with then-girlfriend Megan Barton-Hanson, has since pursued a music career. His single 11:11 gained traction online recently. However, his festive season has been dominated by this painful setback.
Overlaying the hospital image, he wrote: "Update. Looks like I'm getting an operation on New Year's Eve to reattach my Achilles." In a lighter moment, he shared a second picture of his elevated, cast-covered leg, musing: "On another note, when I was younger, I wanted a cast so bad?! I can't be the only one."
A Year of Misfortune for the Star
This injury caps off a challenging year for Nelson, who has been targeted by thieves on two separate occasions in the past twelve months. In October, he angrily informed fans that his full golf bag and clubs had been stolen, blaming the incident on a decline in London's safety.
This theft followed another earlier in the year, where a designer bag worth over £8,000 was stolen from a train heading to Milton Keynes. Nelson recounted how the thief, sitting behind him, slowly slid the bag from the overhead storage and fled at a stop. He expressed relief that he had removed his MacBook, containing all his music, prior to the journey.
Following the train theft, he posted a picture of the Louis Vuitton bag and offered a reward for its return, stating: "I've got a reward for anyone who can get it back with contents."
Now, the star's focus shifts to his recovery. Fans will be hoping the New Year's Eve surgery is a success, allowing Wes Nelson to leave his injuries and misfortunes behind in 2025.
