"From then on, I was treated differently.”
Love Island runner-up Shakira Khan has spoken out about her dramatic feuds with Helena Ford and Meg Moore.
The 22-year-old, who finished second alongside Harry Cooksley, said she was unfairly labelled a “threat” early in the series.
Shakira said: “What it stems from is on day one or day two I was put in a position where I had to graft and so was deemed as a threat.
“From then on, I was treated differently.”
During the series, Shakira became good friends with Toni Laities and Yasmin Pettet. The trio finished in the top three, with Toni winning the £50,000 prize with Cach Mercer.
Shakira added: “We sort of flocked together. When you are a threat to someone’s relationship, you are not going to be the best of pals.”
Tensions boiled over in the days before the final when Shakira and Meg clashed on camera, bluntly telling each other they would “never” be friends outside the villa.
The series sparked thousands of Ofcom complaints, with more than 9,000 last week alone. Many accused the show of allowing Shakira to be bullied.
Harry’s earlier connection with Helena had already created tension in the villa. He was caught in a love triangle after Shakira admitted to “suppressed emotions” for him, leading to heartbreak during the Grafties challenge.
Clips showed Harry flirting with Shakira and saying it was a “good idea” to get to know each other.
He later told Conor he only felt a “platonic connection” with Helena and his bond with Shakira was more “natural”.
Shakira and Harry recoupled just 10 days before the final and after finishing in second place, both said they would take their relationship slowly.
Harry said: “We have spoken briefly about what’s next but we only recoupled in the last ten days so I think we are both living every day one day at a time.”
Shakira added: “We are probably more set back than someone meeting fresh as we have had a lot of rebuilding to do before we even think about that.”
The couple admitted they never expected to reunite on the show.
Shakira said:
“It was in my dolly daydreams but I didn’t think it would be on the cards.”
Harry added: “It didn’t think it was ever reciprocated how I felt. I always wanted it but I just had to bury my emotions and feelings for Shakira because I didn’t think there was any going back.”
Reflecting on her Love Island journey, Shakira admitted: “It was tough because I wanted him so badly but it was a constant head over heart battle but if this has taught me anything, it’s that I lose in that situation when I let my pride and ego win.
“Maybe being stubborn doesn’t work so well for me!”
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