I was gaslit, picked on and I nearly quit the villa, but I’m GLAD Love Island producers didn’t step in, says Abi Moores
LOVE Island beauty Abi Moores admitted her villa journey wasn't always easy after being "gaslit" and "picked on" - leaving her debating whether to quit the show entirely.
But the stunning flight attendant, 25, said she is glad that producers didn't step in - saying it's an important issue that needs to be shown on TV, in a bid to help other people in similar situations.
It comes after 913 furious viewers complained to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom after Mitchel Taylor took relentless potshots at Abi after their brief partnership came to an end.
Abi - who was not afraid to stand up for herself in the villa - finally got to have her say on the Love Island Reunion show on Sunday night - where she branded Mitch a "gaslighter".
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Abi said: "It was a really good opportunity for me to show everyone that this is never going to happen and to take the opportunity that this is live and it can't get cut.
"I was torn down by the experience, you could see me getting weaker throughout. Coming home, I stepped back from it and thought 'I'm not going to be treated that way'.
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"I went to that reunion fighting, I'm no longer going to take your s*** and I feel much stronger."
The Hampshire-based beauty continued: "Calling him a gaslighter, you can't go back - I've been able to squash what I wanted to squash and to show that there is no interest there.
"It all comes down to the fact that I still think he likes me, the energy I got was like at school when a boy fancies a girl and they're pulling your pigtails.
"I wouldn’t use the word bullying as that’s such an intense word and shouldn’t be thrown around.
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"He did treat me unfairly - I’d probably say picked on me is the terminology, I felt picked on.
"He was picking on me was to try and control my relationship with Scott.
"The way he was in there, a lot of the time, he would say something to me and then when I would say, 'oh you've said this', he would be like 'no I didn't'.
"That is gaslighting, when you're denying and making me question and he would say 'if I don't remember saying it, then I never said it'.
"Something that really got to me is people in the villa telling me that I still had feelings for Mitch, I was like 'I really don't',
"I do have feelings for him, but they're negative ones. Everyone kept telling me I liked him still, I genuinely think it's the other way round."
But Abi - who has been flooded with supportive messages from fans since her exit - said she is happy producers showed the highs and lows of the relationship in the hope that it will help others.
"I think that's important to be shown because that's a real personality, "she said.
"Girls approach and say 'I've been with someone like that' and I have as well.
"On the outside world, I was with someone exactly the same as Mitch and I probably had a bit of experience and was able to deal with it a little bit better.
"I think those qualities are important to show on a TV show like Love Island.
"Other people do go through this, when I went through this on the outside world, I thought it was only me but seeing someone else go through it, shows that other people do get treated in that way.
"I don't think there was anything the producers could have done, they would have just said 'no Mitch, don't do that anymore' but it probably would have carried on."
Although Abi was supported by her villa co-stars, she said at times it was hard and she was close to packing her bags and leaving.
She told us: "There are two Beach Huts and you can speak to someone, it's like an interview, they ask you questions and if you're feeling sad you can speak to them.
"The villa producers, you can speak to them face-to-face and quite a lot of the time, I would go to the villa producers and they would help me in terms of emotional support, like a chat with a friend.
"The other Islanders are great with advice but they're involved in it as well.
"There is also a psych and you can ask to speak to them at anytime, we have a room with a Zoom link and there is always someone from welfare active.
"I was in there quite a lot."
When asked if she ever thought about quitting, she said: "Yes, I did. I thought I'd go in and get a boyfriend - I'm really high energy and excited and I thought there is no way this could go wrong for me.
"Obviously, it's Love Island, I should have been more switched on and think that there would be obstacles put in place. But I was naïve and went in positive, thinking it would be easy.
"When I hit the bumps in the road, I didn't know how to handle it, and I would go and speak to them and there were days all I wanted to speak to my mum.
"I wanted to speak to her so badly, do I just leave the experience, so I can get on that phone and I can ring her but I thought if I leave then Scott will probably have to leave because we were at the end of the experience.
"I know how much he was enjoying it and he had a really good connection with the boys and I thought, no stick it out and I did.
"I'm glad I did, I'm glad I saw it out and I got dumped, it completed my experience. I'm really grateful for the Love Island experience."
The blonde beauty admitted that she is glad she got to experience the show authentically and believes she "dodged a bullet" with gas engineer Mitch, 26.
"It's funny because at the time, it's very relatable in an actual relationship - like when your boyfriend is being really horrible to you, you're like 'I really loved him when he wasn't like this' but that is the person," she said.
"When I look out our paddleboard date, it was great and I'm thinking why could he have not stayed like that. But that's who he is and I don't want that person in my life.
"I feel like I dodged a massive bullet and when you're in the villa, time is so sped up and I was able to figure it out in two weeks and then be like 'rid of you' and gone. it worked out for the best."
The reality star said her experience in Love Island will now help her spot red flags quicker, while issuing a warning to other girls in gaslighting relationships.
Abi said: "I say I went in for love but Love Island thought be how to love. I wore my heart on my sleeve and fall very quickly, but I'm going to take a step back and put a guard up.
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"I think the whole show is a warning for Mitch - I don't know what's going to happen because all the responses I've had from women, I know men quite like Mitch. I think his fanbase is male heavy but the women is quite like no against him."
"I don't know how he's going to find dating on the outside, he he might have to go to another country," she joked.
