Love Island’s Helena Ford ‘had PTSD’ from horrific trolling as she opens up on hateful comments branding her a ‘sl*g’

LOVE Island star Helena Ford has opened up about how horrific trolling left her experiencing “PTSD-like” feelings. Discussing the fallout from her first stint on the ITV show, the reality star admitted she became terrified to open her apps for fear of more abuse. Helena Ford has opened up about the horrific trolling she received after Love Island Credit: Instagram / privatepodcast The reality star said the abuse left her experiencing ‘PTSD-like’ feelings Credit: Instagram / privatepodcast Speaking to Made In Chelsea star Liv Bentley on her Private Parts podcast, Helena said that although show bosses had warned her about the possible backlash and offered her therapy, the reality was worse than she could have ever expected. Helena, 30, said: “They definitely don’t let on about how bad it will be. When I came out of the first one, I was either loved or hated. It was very split.” Sign up for the Love Island newsletter Thank you! She revealed that one of her friends had desperately tried to disable the comments on her Instagram account before she regained access to it because the abuse was “that bad”. Helena continued: “There were just thousands of comments about how ugly I was, or how much people hated me, how I was a sl*g and I stole someone’s man. It was literally ridiculous.” Helena became embroiled in a turbulent love triangle with Harry Cooksley Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Helena spoke candidly to Liv Bentley on the Private Parts podcast Credit: Instagram / privatepodcast The former cabin crew member became one of the most divisive contestants on the 2025 series after finding herself in a love triangle with Harry Cooksley and Shakira Khan. However, the criticism quickly spilled beyond comments about her behaviour on the show and became intensely personal. She said the abuse continued right up until she returned to the villa for Love Island: All Stars earlier this year. Helena said: “It’s really intense, and I remember when I did get my phone back after All Stars, I just put it down. Most read in TV “One of the girls asked why I wasn’t on it and I was like, ‘Honestly, I’ve got such bad PTSD from when I turned my phone on last time. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to look.’” The star previously revealed she wanted to undergo therapy after watching her first appearance back and seeing aspects of herself that she “didn’t like”. Her admission comes amid continued debate about the impact of shooting to fame on shows like Love Island. The show has faced particular scrutiny following the deaths by suicide of former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, as well as its former host Caroline Flack. More recently, 2019 contestant Anton Danyluk revealed that he struggled to adjust after going from the “hero” of his Love Island series to feeling as though he had been forgotten. Speaking in Prime Video documentary The Curse of Love Island, Anton said he became trapped trying to recreate the “high” the programme had given him and turned to alcohol and drugs. He revealed that, following a 24-hour binge in Marbella in 2023, he attempted to take his own life, saying: “I just wanted it to be over.” If you or someone you know needs support, contact Samaritans free at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org. Visit samaritans.org for further information. Comment now