Love Island's Lucinda says she was bullied on All Stars

4 March 2026, 13:14

Love Island's Lucinda addresses whether she was bullied on All Stars. Picture: We Need To Talk podcast / ITV

By Abbie Reynolds

Love Island All Stars' finalist Lucinda Strafford has spoken out on feeling bullied while she was on the show.

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Love Island All Stars series three was packed full of drama, mainly between the girls and a little bit with the boys (we're talking about you, Scott van der-Sluis).

At the centre of the drama and upset this series was Lucinda Strafford who first appeared on Love Island series 7, then went on to win Love Island Australia series 5 AND Love Island Games series two.

The two-time Love Island winner, found love with her now-boyfriend Sean Stone in the South African villa but she faced backlash from the likes of Belle Hassan, Samie Elishi and Jessy Potts while navigating her and Sean's connection.

Now, she has spoken out about her treatment on the show and has conceded that she was "bullied" by some of her co-stars.

Read more: Exclusive: Love Island's Jessy reveals status of Tommy relationship after the villa

Millie Court comforting Lucinda on Love Island All Stars. Picture: ITV

Speaking to Paul Brunson the 'We Need To Talk' podcast, Lucinda initially said: "I don't know whether I was bullied or not. I mean, I've never, I don't think I've ever been properly bullied before, so I wouldn't have anything to compare it to, but I did feel on my own at times, and I obviously was very, very upset."

She specifically addressed when Whitney Adebayo quizzed on if she felt like she had been bullied when all the girls were sat around the fire pit after Jessy's call home. Lucinda explained that in the moment she said no because they were all staring at her and she didn't want to get into it.

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Paul then described the definition of bullying, saying: "Bullying is when you have someone who has been antagonised, typically multiple times, but that person is on the lower end of a power imbalance.

"So perhaps it is your junior to a boss, or perhaps you are the only one of a large of a group... So there's a power imbalance plus being antagonised that together makes bullying."

He went on to ask: "So given that definition, do you believe you were bullied?"

Taken aback by the literal definition of bullying, Lucinda replied: "Yeah... yeah. I mean, that's what it was."

Lucinda and Sean the day before the Love Island All Stars final. Picture: ITV

Lucinda explained that the moment she felt the most low was when she ran out during a game where all the couples were stood behind podiums. She was so upset that Maya Jama had to go and console her.

When she ran out, Belle and Jessy accused it of being a "PR" move.

Paul told Lucinda that the episode had recieved more than 11,000 OFCOM complains, "which is one of the highest complaint tallies in the show's history, with many people saying that that was embarrassing and straight bullying".