Love Island star Amy Hart says she quit the hit ITV show for the sake of her mental health following her break-up with Curtis Pritchard.
Speaking to The Sun, the former air hostess said she couldn't bear to see her ex moving on with Longford native Maura Higgins.
“I chose my mental health over the reality show.
“I was in a very horrible place over the last week, to be told that the gloves were off with Maura and I had to ‘brace myself’, like a storm. I knew I had to leave when I did.
“I’m kidding myself thinking that I can watch Curtis cracking on with Maura. It would be self-sabotage.
“It’s not nice. I have to put myself and my sanity first", Amy said.
She added: “I’ve given up a place that 130,000 people applied for but I had to leave as I wasn’t myself any more. I was in absolute despair.
“I was grieving the loss of my first love, living in a house with him and watching one of my alleged friends get with him.
“I feel a million times better now I’ve left, but I defy anyone not to fall apart and be completely heartbroken. I was very confused. I couldn’t eat, I lost six pounds.”
Amy went on to tell the publication that producers noticed her weight loss and ensured that she ate.
“I felt so numb. I didn’t feel hungry.
“When I wouldn’t eat, they would stand over me and make me eat a bowl of food or I couldn’t do the challenges.”
On last night's episode, Maura kissed Curtis while giving him a lapdance during a challenge.
Amy told The Sun she would have found it hard to take if she was still in the villa.
“It looks like Curtis has cheered up a lot.
“If I saw that, I would have been beside myself. It would have been awful. If I’d stayed I would have brought everyone down.”
Amy also admitted that she made regular visits to the show's psychiatrist during her time on the show, especially after her split from Curtis after the Casa Amor twist.
She said: “I used to suffer from anxiety travelling around the world as an 18-year-old.
“I used to be a bit scared of therapy and since going in the villa I love it.
“They gave me tools to deal with it. They were on call for 24 hours.”
Hart also says she will be devastated if she finds out that Curtis was playing a game.
The former beauty pageant star also doesn't reckon a romance between Curtis and Maura will last.
“I don’t believe Maura liked Curtis.
“She was telling me to drop him. She took the mick out of the way he acted.
“I think she thought he was the best one left out of the single ones. She wants to be on the show for as long as possible and go the distance. They aren’t suited.”
You can read Amy's full interview here.
Follow @98FM on Twitter for the latest Dublin news
