FORMER Love Island star Malin Andersson has confessed to spending thousands on cosmetic procedures she now regrets after leaving the villa.
The 31-year-old star, who appeared on the 2016 series of the ITV2 favourite, said she became hooked on botox and lip filler in a bid to look perfect following her time on the show.
Relying on credit cards and payday loans to pay off her growing addiction, Malin would spend hundreds at a time as well as making the most of her newfound fame.
This included flying to Turkey for free nips and tucks including veneers, liposuction and breast augmentations – which at times went wrong and needed urgent treatment when back in the UK.
Eventually, Malin grew such a debt she was forced to use money left behind by her late mother, Consy-Gloria, in order to pay it off.
Speaking to The Mirror, Malin has spoken of her regret, and said: “You think those types of treatments are minor – a quick £200 or £300. But I took out loans to pay for them and they were like small pockets of debt. I wasn’t worried about the money at the time.
“I didn’t care. It wasn’t like I was spending £10,000 on big surgery. But that’s the dangerous part of getting Botox and filler.”
She added: “If I didn’t have my mum’s money to fall back on, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Eight years on from her time in the villa, Malin says she’s now come to terms with the fact she had body dysmorphia, saying going on Love Island and the online trolls that came with it having a negative impact on her.
She called her time obsessed with lip fillers and botox “addictive and ridiculous”, and has since become a spokesperson for body positivity.
The star has been urged to speak out about the financial reality of cosmetic ‘tweakments’ with credit report company, Experian, who say Love Island and other reality shows are having a direct impact on the beauty industry.
“I became delusional and kept thinking I needed more and more adjustments.
“In hindsight, I could have saved money as well as avoided some of the damaging side effects,” Malin said, adding she “should have learned to love herself instead.
Now, Malin has found joy in life and her mental health, lost six stone in weight, and looks after her two-year-old daughter Xaya.
She hopes that she can teach Xaya that she’s “perfect the way she is” and doesn’t need to change anything about herself.
The star has also found a new love, going public with new Swedish boyfriend, Jim Sundgren, after meeting him at a wellness retreat.
