Zara Holland: 'Love Island was a rollercoaster I wasn't prepared for'

Zara suffered from depression and anxiety attacks

Zara Holland
Author: Carl SmithPublished 17th May 2019
Last updated 23rd May 2019

Love Island 2016 star and former Miss Great Britian Zara Holland has candidly opened up to heat in support of our Where's Your Head At? campaign; claiming she was not prepared for the affect reality TV would have on her mental health.

Speaking to heat, Zara explained: "Why I became depressed and started having my anxiety attacks was, kind of, post-being on Love Island.

"Being on a reality TV show, a lot of struggles come with it afterwards that you don’t get told before you apply. Or, I didn’t - three years ago."

Asked how reality TV affected her mental health, Zara said: "I think my problem was, being on Love Island from my own experience, it was a huge rollercoaster.

"I would search my name a lot. I’d search my name like twenty, thirty or more times a day. So many people said, ‘oh my god - why do you do that?' and it’s just so easy to go on and see what people think of you."

WATCH Zara's candid interview below:

Asked if she felt prepared for life post-Love Island, Zara said: "No. Absolutely no way was I prepared enough and I’d probably say, hand on my heart, the majority of people from my series would say the same.

"Like, from the psychiatry test to coming out; no one rang me, no one checked if I was okay.

"Like I said, I’m not blaming the show for what happened. You can’t just expect that everyone is going to be okay."

LISTEN to our Where's Your Head At? podcast series below:

To get help on mental health issues and find out how you can support our campaign so that mental and physical health are given equal treatment in the workplace please go to www.wheresyourheadat.org.