Former Love Island star Kaz Crossley has spoken out about her arrest and imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates in February 2023, describing it as the 'lowest point of her life'. The 30-year-old, who appeared on the show in 2018, was held on suspicion of drug offences after a video surfaced showing her appearing to snort white powder.
Crossley claimed the footage was filmed without her knowledge by a 'controlling and manipulative' ex-boyfriend. She said the incident 'destroyed her mental health and career', leaving her housebound for three months due to anxiety. Upon flying to Abu Dhabi for work, she was detained for a week in a cell alongside a new mother and her six-month-old baby.
She was later moved to a Dubai prison, where she was denied a phone call but allowed to send a single email. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed they were in contact with local authorities following the arrest of a British national. Dubai has since liberalised its drug laws, with first-time offenders facing a minimum three-month sentence and a fine, followed by deportation.
Crossley, who finished third on Love Island with Josh Denzel, returned to the villa for the All Stars series in 2025 but was dumped midway through. Her ordeal is the latest in a series of struggles faced by former contestants, including Jack Fincham’s recent six-week prison sentence for a dog attack, which he is appealing.
