Girls Know Nothing - S1 Ep3: Paige Thorne discusses Love Island, Truth of being a paramedic in COVID, Mental Health and More!

Episode Date: August 18, 2022

Fresh from the LOVE ISLAND villa, GKN learns some emotional truths of being a paramedic, mental health surrounding the pandemic and NHS staff, being a women in a typically male dominated environment.�� Paige is lovely, bubbly and an inspiration!

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And I basically remember the first thing I said to you was how tanned you are compared to me. So I look really pasty already, and it probably doesn't help that I'm wearing white. No, honestly, stop giving yourself so much hate for the tan. I've been in a villa

half naked this whole time. So let's give ourselves some credit. Yeah, no, that's actually very true. And I, you know, having been there myself,

I definitely don't envy you. Because I just remember how hot the furniture was and how much, like how uncomfortable you sat half the time. No, but how hot is it when you're trying to have dinner in like 30 degree heat in that garden? Like sweating.

Did you not have cover in yours? Just the kitchen. Just that bit of kitchen with no air con. And yeah, wasn't a vibe. Okay, mine was definitely a lot cooler than that. Oh. Sorry to break it to you. Oh, wow.

But so, I obviously will talk to you about Love Island during the episode but I don't yeah you know I know what it's like to have everyone talk about Love Island all of the time um and I want to talk about you and you know who you are as a person because you know actually I think you were one of my favorite Islanders from the beginning just because I know that you had so much about you before going into the show. And I think it's super important to have that because when you look at role models leaving Love Island, if that's all they have about them, then for me personally, I just don't really like it.

So I love that you had something else before and a career beforehand. So I want to talk mostly about that. So obviously you are, well, you were a paramedic or hopefully will be again. Talk me through like the thought process of you wanting to become a paramedic. Like what was it that made you want to do that? And then talk me through like university and things like that. Oh my gosh. So do you know what it is? I was, I went through like all the college, all the school, not ever really knowing what I actually wanted to be. And then it came to like the last week of college

and my lecturer was like, Paige, you need to apply to university. And I was like, for what? I was like, I don't know what I'm going to do. Like I honestly could sit there and be like, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. All I knew was that I'm not a Monday to Friday girl. I like to be a little bit all over the place,

but I wanted to do something that I knew I'd be like proud to say that I was doing. Like if someone was ever to ask me my job, I'd be like, yeah, this is what I do. And I wanted to be a little bit all over the place, but I wanted to do something that I knew I'd be like proud to say that I was doing. Like if someone was ever to ask me my job, I'd be like, yeah, this is what I do. And I wanted to be proud. So I was having a little thing and it just so happened that my brother had like come home the like week before I was applying. He had a little moped and I know that he came off and he like scraped all his arm

and he was like the biggest baby ever. And he hates the sight of blood. So does my mom, the rest of my family. So he comes in the house. Like he's literally like going really, really gray. Like about to pass out from the sight of blood. Like his arm was a bit messed up. I'm not going to lie.

And he literally just came to me. And mom and dad were like, Paige, come and sort him out. That's just like the natural person that they all come to with anything like that. And it was just in that moment. I was just like handled it like so well. I was like, I kept him calm. Brought him back down back down to earth kept my mum also calm because she was freaking out and it just came like kind of natural to like step in and help someone and I even know it was only my brother like it just kind of worked out that way and I thought whilst I was applying and I was like do

you know what maybe that's something I could go into and I honestly landed on my feet so I applied to Swansea Uni I got in first time which is like really really hard to do because so many people have to apply like year on year and year and I got through all the interview courses and then honestly at the actual university course like I just it was just something that clicked for me and I just like the exams the essays I kind of just went with it all and it just went really good for me so yeah that's um actually really interesting you say that because a lot of people I speak to so I used to do like CV workshops for a lot of people and they never know what they want to do um just like you but

then they I think it takes until you're much older than you are to know like to find that thing that clicks for you so like it's amazing you managed to find that so quickly and get into Swansea first time. I know, honestly, that was the biggest because Swansea University, so Swansea is where I live. And it's the only university in Wales that actually does the paramedic course. Otherwise, you have to go to England to do it. Okay, so it honestly just works out. It's like God had a plan for me all along. And he was like, let's get this going to Swansea Uni for some paramedic course. I was like, yes, thank you, please. Yeah, I didn't know that Swansea University was the only place that took the paramedic course

or like gave that out. And actually, I do think it takes a type of person to become a paramedic. Like, you know, actually, this is the first time I've met you. And you can tell already you're a very chatty, like very calming person. And I feel like these qualities are not something you can you have to have them naturally you can't really develop them no you can't develop like so imagine being in an absolute chaotic scenario like say a bus has crashed and there's loads of casualties and fatalities like you need to have like somebody in the middle like to be the calm of it all and like direct it all and stuff like that and I am honestly sometimes maybe I'm too laid back for my own good but yeah I'm definitely

I've always been that way just super chill with everything just able like chat and talk my way out of anything and I think that helps all like the patients I go to because if if you if I can put them at ease like they're going to be way more open to tell me what's actually going on that was actually like hurting or upsetting them because don't forget as well a lot of the jobs we go to as 999 is a lot of mental health jobs yeah so if somebody isn't going to feel comfortable talking to you and opening up then you're never going to be able to help them and get to the bottom of it so that's definitely where I get my time from so just going off of that like what would you say has probably been the most difficult job you've ever gone to or had to be part of? So do you know what that's actually really interesting you ask that question because a lot of people will ask paramedics

what's the worst job you've ever been to obviously we see a lot of nasty groups and stuff that a lot of people would probably not even ever think of or anything and as paramedics I can probably speak for a lot of them these nasty jobs we probably keep in a box and we don't talk about because we what we do we'll deal with it in the moment of time and for me personally I don't like to think about any of the bad stuff I've been to because I would rather look at my job and be like oh my gosh how good was that day how good of a job was that and I would rather look at the positives and all the exciting things and the bits I helped in rather than be like oh the worst thing I ever saw was because if I sat here and told you the worst thing I ever saw it's gonna kill the whole mood do you know what I mean yeah no definitely

I think that's a big opener as well for like just people in general when people when a paramedic says to you yeah I'm a paramedic and it's always the first question people go to and yeah we we always tend to be like yeah we'll focus on the good ones this is the best job I've been to and we've got a positive spin on it instead you know yeah so what is the best job you've been to the best job um okay so the best jobs for me is the little things right I get like I got a huge huge huge huge soft spot for elderly okay so there was this one little old lady bless her we're gonna call her Doris with patient confidentiality it's Doris for now so I'd been to Doris a couple of weeks before I went for her husband and sadly he had like passed away not long after I'd been there and then I went

back to that same address and she recognized me and she honestly she just thanked me loads and she's like thank you for taking that time with my husband when you brought him home and she was the sweetest little old lady and she had like no family or anything like that and it was just a moment like she didn't actually it was one of those times where an elderly person called an ambulance for being lonely and not really knowing where else to turn to and it honestly just like touched me inside because I obviously met her before in different circumstances and I kind of just spent the morning with her helped her like we gave her a wash and blow dry, we did a bit of breakfast for her.

We just took and sat some time together and I just gave that bit of comfort. And honestly, like, it's the little things like that for me in my job, which generally gives me, like, huge satisfaction because it's such a big problem in the world is ageing and loneliness in the elderly. Like, honestly, biggest soft spot for it. So anytime I can help out with that, I do.

That's something they probably don't teach you at university, right? That this is what your job will actually be like, as opposed to like, this is how you treat somebody. Yeah. Oh my God, for sure. So I think people think like being a paramedic, you're going to go to all like these road accidents. You're going to go to all these massive injuries,

all this trauma, like all these really like severe life-threatening things all of the time and when I when I say that is not the case that's probably about what like like eight percent of the calls that we actually go to a lot of it is just being caring and like being that person that people can come find in and you know really look to for support it's not always the big juicy stuff that everyone seems to think paramedic is. There's a lot more to it than that. Do you know, like,

that's actually a really nice thing to hear that, and like to hear how passionate you are about being a paramedic. Because sometimes I think, you know, I've come across people in my time as a public servant that people just do their job to go through the motions and actually don't love what they do and I think especially being a paramedic or like working in emergency services if you don't enjoy

what you do yeah it will be the longest I don't even know how long the shifts are but like 12 hour shifts yeah it is 12 hour shifts so can you imagine like waking up at like 4am in the mornings hating your job and being there for full 12 hours and like doing that four days in a row or whatever like it's just you couldn't do it like I'm to the point where I genuinely like love my job I love what I do that much I'm such a people's person that I've also got a second job being like a medical cover but we just do it on like so in Swansea we have like wine streets like bars and nightclubs and I'll just give like medical cover down there just just love being out and about very sociable person then but yeah um obviously like being a paramedic but you are also a woman um also a very beautiful woman do you ever find

that it's very difficult to be a woman in as a paramedic you know I've been out on the beat with female police officers and the amount of times I've heard men come up to them and say, you're far too pretty to be a police officer. Like, what's that like? Like, what's it like to be a female paramedic? Do you know what? It has its pros and cons. Like, when it comes to the heavy lifting,

the male colleagues will always offer to go in the back of the carry chair, you know, all the chivalrous, chivalrous, is that the word? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, they will always offer to do them. But so that bit's nice. I'm not about that. Like, I'm all yeah yeah they will always offer to do them but so that bit's nice I'm not about that like I'm all about that life but also when you do go to like some

patients houses like especially if I'm working with a male colleague it's almost like they'd speak to the male colleague first rather than speaking to me because it's almost like I think it comes with a bit of a stereotype that a paramedic job was initially very male dominated career and so especially like some of the more elderly patients they will always look to the man to speak to first when I'm working and I'll be like actually babe it's me I'm I'm gonna be the one you're chatting to today um but I get it you know it's just just the way you go about it um you do get some of the ones especially like drunken drunken guys where you have to go to like scenes and you walk in as paramedic and they're all be like oh oh it's that

chat up like you know the chat line oh I'll have some mouth-to-mouth and it's like babe come on come on I need mouth-to-mouth after that like I feel sick that you just said that definitely not paid enough to deal with that kind of content. Thank you. It's also very original, you know? Yeah, literally. Or it'll be like, what's your number? So now I just go, you've already got it. And they'll be like, what? But it's 999.

Just dial my name, babe. Call 999 and specifically ask for Paige. You do come across as a very happy person. And like, you know, you radiate very good energy. But does it ever really just frustrate you that you feel like you're being treated different? Because are young as well yeah you have all of these extra things to deal with on top of being a woman that is exactly it so not only do I get I get frustrated sometimes because it is oh but she's a girl like is she gonna manage or how is she gonna cope like

for some reason they all just think I'm super super emotional I'm not gonna be able to deal with these things I tell people I'm a paramedic. And like, even just in passing, but you're a paramedic, they look surprised. I'm like, why is that surprising that I'm a girl and I'm a paramedic? And the other one is, oh, but do you drive the ambulance?

I'm like, well, yeah, it's my job. And then that, then they're mind blown. Like, oh my God, little old you driving an ambulance. They just can't fathom it. I'm like, why? Why can't you get that into your head? Like, I'm a girl, I'm young and I can do it. Like, why is this a thing?

It's like that stereotype about female drivers though, isn't it? Yeah. That's what they're really going for. And it's just like, well, actually, we have the least amount of accidents. So that says it all, to be honest. And I know you said you try not to focus on like the bad aspects of your job. Obviously, it's kind of the elephant in the room about what it was like to be a paramedic during the pandemic oh my gosh um and I I don't actually know how long

into your career you were when that kind of happened or started yeah so literally I qualified as a paramedic in like June or July and then COVID fully came into like the UK by like October, November. Okay. And so that is all I've known as my career basically is COVID. And it's actually really funny because I went to the first ever cardiac arrest in Swansea whilst we had COVID measurements in place.

So this was when we had to wear the big white boiler suits, the hood with the filtered oxygen masks and everything else and that I think that was really really hard for me and all my colleagues when it comes to resuscitation like time is everything like you need to be quick on that chest and you need to be quick with that defib like shocks and all that like you have got to be so on the ball with it and then to take that time off to put the suits on first knowing that every time every

second you're off the chest like you know it decreases chances of resuscitation like that is really really hard and that bit was so frustrating at the beginning that you just want to dive in like you just want to get in I don't want to faff around with a suit I don't want to faff around with a helmet like just put me in that situation and I know I know our health also also comes first because we can't help people if we're not safe ourselves of course and that's a big thing for like WASP WASP we're really good on making sure like we were looked after as well but at the same time it was almost like you were going against your natural instinct like to get in there so that was really difficult and also you know wearing a mask I think for some people they felt like they couldn't relate or open

up and talk to you because it was almost like there was a barrier between yourself and the patient. So yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of the whole COVID thing. It just felt like you weren't able to completely do your job to the best potential that you absolutely could, you know. So I'm glad it's relaxed a bit now. I hope it's still the same when I go back. That's the thing as well. I think, you know, when you were saying it takes away that that human aspect of your job which is obviously you know if

people are phoning in for loneliness and I know during COVID like mental health calls to 999 were ridiculously high and if you can't have that human aspect it must have made your job really really tough and then had larger impacts on you yeah absolutely had larger impacts on us it had larger impacts on the people we were actually seeing and it just it just just wasn't natural do you know I mean but also COVID wasn't a natural thing it was a new thing for everybody so we were all going through at the same time but definitely that was all I knew was my career then was I had like two months of like oh COVID have you heard about COVID COVID and then it came into full force and then that was all my career was like even to the point like so we were also having

time off the road then if you had anyone in your ambulance you had to do like COVID cleans and stuff especially if they had any symptoms so then you have to take yourself off the road you can't that means you can't get a job and to clean the ambulance and then all that time like you're cleaning it every single time after a patient you can hear the radios going off calling out for red calls so red call is like life threatening like usually cardiac arrest or something like that in the community and you're you're hearing that going off and you know you can't go because you're stuck cleaning an ambulance for covid reasons so like even it just has such a huge huge knock-on effect and it was really getting a lot of the staff down like I know a lot

of the staff had their own mental health problems then because the job was so much harder so much more intense and a lot of people were like sick sick with it because obviously then people were scared of calling an ambulance because they didn't want to be they they thought obviously we were carrying COVID they were being a burden they didn't want to go to hospital because of COVID so then people it went through a phase where people were only called if they were really really really sick which obviously is when you should only call 999 is when you're really really needing it but it was like people were leaving it too late and you know they should have been calling way earlier than what they were and it was just sometimes a little bit too late you know so it was intense especially like first coming out but you know you touched a

little bit on mental health of your colleagues how did being a paramedic during the pandemic impact your mental health and like what did that do to like family life and your home life for you do you know for me because it was all I kind of knew as my career it was almost a normal for me and because at all like my family and stuff were like off work because of you know the whole COVID thing like only essential workers were still going in and stuff I kind of just stepped up and was like well there's nothing for me to do at home so I might as well just basically live and work so I kind of went down the route of like right I'll throw myself in I'll do as much overtime as I can

so I was like picking up all the extra shifts wherever I could just because I knew like a lot of staff were going off stress and stuff and And also, like, with that, like, staff were also scared for their own families. Like, I was, like, worried about going home to, like, my mum and dad. Or, like, even if I didn't go and see my nan, I was worried that if I went home to my mum and dad, maybe because I'm young, I might not have had symptoms, and they would have carried it on, and that would have gone to my nans. Like, I've got, like, poorly grandparents too.

So I was just, like, it was on my mind. So when everyone finishes work, usually, it's quick cuppa go home but everyone was there like showering like taking an extra hour in work showering like wasn't even wearing their uniform in the cars because they didn't want to contaminate like it was a crazy crazy time and it did affect a lot of the staff like negatively but as WASP will help was so supportive and as a as we call ourselves like the green family we all support each other and we're all supportive and as we call ourselves the green family, we all support each other and we're all so good

at being there for each other. It's such a close-knit in Swansea especially that you know you can talk to any one of the staff members and they're going to put you right. Even if you're feeling shit yourself, you can put your colleagues right,

you know? Yeah, because I think not a lot of people know this about my family. My brother is a nurse. Oh, is he? And he pretty much only knew the pandemic as well so I remember him going through that whole process of like

washing his uniform and ridiculously high heat yeah all over his car like hot showers in the in work and I think you know I think that's one thing that I really wanted to talk to you about like the whole mental health stuff and how people were chipping in and helping each other because I do feel like people talk about it but they try to skirt around the subject as opposed to like actually say how it made them feel and you know obviously we really appreciate everything you guys did for us yeah I can't even begin to imagine like how it actually feels to be you and you know did you you were living at home with family yeah I was living so I was living with my mum my dad and my two younger brothers and obviously my mum was still like

seeing my nan like you know outside of it sort of thing yeah so I was just really like worried about that sort of thing but at the same time I knew I was taking all the precautions I could in work so there was like nothing else I could possibly do than to do follow all the rules and the guidelines that work were given and I just honestly tried to be like right that is what it is but I also didn't want it to affect like home I didn't want to be constantly stressed about it because everyone it was always everywhere it was the topic of every conversation obviously I worked with all the time like do you know I actually just want to go home and cut off from it yeah so I knew as long as I did what I had to do in work,

I could go home and just, right, it is what it is. Please, let's not talk about COVID anymore. Like, it's not a thing in the house. Let's just cut off from it. Do you know what I mean? And then I would have my downtime that way with the fam. So like, obviously going from mental health as a paramedic, I did say I was going to touch on Love Island. And there is a lot of conversations about mental health as a paramedic, I did say I was going to touch on Love Island.

Yeah, of course. And there is a lot of conversations about mental health after like, you know, going into a show like Love Island and then coming off a show. How would you say the mental health struggles you've dealt with are different from Love Island to being a paramedic? I do think being a paramedic set you up

in the right way to deal with that. Oh, 100%. Like, obviously doing what I do as a paramedic set you up in the right way to deal with that. Oh, 100%. Like, obviously doing what I do as a paramedic, like I have got to learn to be able to cut off my feelings very quick, very easily, and almost like as if, like completely detached and like disassociate from those feelings. Like you kind of have to be able to do that in the paramedic job, otherwise you're going to be an emotional wreck the whole time,

which you just can't be. So it definitely set me up in the right way and especially as well like I've got a bit of thick skin from being a paramedic like we meet some we meet some characters in the job you know that aren't always too friendly and you do take the abuse and you do take the assaults and things and the name calling and you know the family that are upset or annoyed that you didn't get there sooner and you get all the abuse and you just gotta take a step back and be like do you know the family that are upset or annoyed that you didn't get there sooner and you get all the abuse and you just gotta take a step and be like do you know what this isn't personal this they don't know me they know that I would do anything I possibly could to help anyone and that's kind of the way I went into Love Island with it with the mindset of they can say what they want to say

then they don't actually truly know me especially like when you come out and you get like trolls or whatever like these people don't actually truly know who I am as a person it's like they're entitled to their opinion that's absolutely fine am I gonna let it affect me absolutely not am I even gonna pay any attention to it absolutely not I'll just block it out because it doesn't affect my life I'm still happy I'm still doing my own thing and if anything stuff like that just is more of a reflection of those people that it comes from rather than being a reflection of yourself do you know what I mean and definitely in the villa like from my job like I went through a lot in there sometimes and we did see some tears here and there

but nine times out of ten I promise you I was way more happy than I was sad because it would only be in a split and don't forget they only show what they want to show so when you saw them clips of me crying I promise it wasn't that much. I promised it wasn't that long. And I would usually bounce back within two minutes. But yeah, no, it definitely set me up the right way. I am very good at being able to be like, switch it up, that's done, moving on, next.

Yeah, no, definitely. And I think one thing that I really wanted to know is like, how come you made that switch from dealing with 999 to going into Love Island like what do we scouted or did you apply no so I applied and honestly when I I'm just be truthful we'll say how it is basically at the beginning of the year had I had a breakup and I was really annoyed at him as it was the most annoying thing I can do to like piss him off just that little bit more like it's gonna be if I'm in his face I'm like he's gonna see me so I was

like on on the off I'll just send I'll just apply just send a little video I honestly didn't think anything was going to come of it because if honestly if you saw the application video sent in it was not great I don't know how I got as far as I did but you know we're gonna roll with it um so that was honestly my thought I was just being the pettiest person ever because I was just in a little bit of a shit place. And then obviously the ball started rolling. I was like, oh, actually, do you know what? This is crazy.

And then I'd already passed all that petty stuff. I was back into being a gym girl. I was eating healthy. I was doing my own thing. I was working. It was going great. And then it just kept spiralling. And before you know it, they were like,

oh, can you come up and do a press day and we want you to be in the starting lineup and I was like oh shit this is actually real like this is actually going to be a thing because I haven't even told work yet that I'm going to do this so yeah it's like okay do you know what though I'm here for the pettiness because you know if you're and if you're in a bad breakup then you might as well not turn on your tv without seeing me every time you turn on the radio every time you go on the internet every time you go on social media you might as well see my name so actually no I'm I'm really here for it but you know you said you didn't tell work

no what were they like when you told them you were going to go into the show so when I did tell them because obviously I needed time off to go in um my manager was so supportive and she 100% backed me every step of the way but the only thing was I tried always to be able to keep my job and do Love Island at the same time obviously Love Island is a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity thing well unless you're Adam Carlisle you get to do it twice but we're not all him Adam I want tips on how you managed to do that by the way so let me know he's not doing it a third time, let me tell you. Yeah, so I was just like, look, I spoke to my manager, I was like, massive opportunity. I was like, what are we saying?

Like, can I, is there any way I can do it? I tried taking all my annual leave. I tried to take an unpaid leave. I tried taking a career break. I tried every single avenue possible to be able to keep my job as well as do Love Island. But unfortunately, because paramedics and the ambulance service and

nhs in general get such bad like backlash and press about waiting times and knocks understaffed and all of this i think from a management perspective where i am they're like yes we want to fully support you but we i think it's not confirmed but i think they couldn't risk me going in not knowing me as a person, obviously higher up, they don't know who I was as an individual employee. I think they were worried that if maybe I went in, and then it's like, oh, well, the NHS is struggling this much and Paramax are struggling this much,

and you've let one take all this time off to go in Love Island, it might have created more bad press and bad backlash that they just didn't need, which I totally understand. So unfortunately, the only option I had was to resign from my job, which I was absolutely devastated about. Like, I've got it on Snapchat, like a video of me like crying,

like, I'm going to have to resign from my job to do La Vaila, like, what if I'm just in there for a week and I've had to quit my job? Like, all this. But do you know what? I'm glad I did it because it was it was in the terms that when I come out as long as like you know everything's gone okay that I can go back to it and have a

conversation about getting my job back as a bank paramedic which is would work great for me anyway because basically being on bank contract would mean that I can pick and choose when I work my shifts and what would work for me especially coming out obviously everyone knows nobody's stupid everyone comes out and has other opportunities off the back of love I don't know let's just say how it is but I still don't want to lose that element of working as a paramedic because it's still so important to me so having a bank contract means I can have literally the best of both worlds still do what I love still keep doing paramedic and stuff keep up my skills still see all my darlings in my gyms and then like still like know, have a cheeky pic here and there in London, do you know?

Yeah, it's really interesting that you say that, that they were worried about, like, bringing the NHS into disrepute. And it'd be really interesting, I think neither of us would have the answer to this, but it'd be really interesting to know whether Dr. Alex was put in the same position. Yeah.

Because he was an A&E doctor when he went into the show and obviously when he returned from the villa he went back into A&E like hospitals so be really interesting to know that if he was also told the same information or whether it was just you um but you know you're talking about management's being worried about potentially bringing the NHS and the paramedic service into disrepute. When you were in the villa, were you very conscious? Because I know I was.

I potentially wanted to go back to the civil service. And I was very conscious about what I said, how I behaved, how I came across. And that's probably why I came across as boring

because I was so overly paranoid about it. Did you feel like the same way? Do you know, at the beginning, so I think looking at the episodes now, even looking at me in the beginning of the series I feel like I was very like in a little bit of a shell I was a bit more quiet a bit like oh let me find my groundings first let me find my feet and then like I definitely got into the swing of things as time went on so I um I think it came with I didn't do anything like that I wouldn't have done anyway

obviously it was on my mind to be always respectful anyway it's just the kind of person I am I wouldn't want to be anything else anyway when it came to like talking about my job or anything like that I did always keep it very brief so I think when people like what do you do I'm a paramedic and then they would also ask all the questions I'd be like yeah I don't really want to talk about it anymore because I don't know what's going to get shown. Do you know what I mean? So I was conscious of just talking about my job in there. But in terms of how I acted,

I think there were some times where I probably could have kicked off a little bit more or had a bit more of like a backbone about some things or had a few more comments here and there. But honestly, I'm not really that person anyway. Like I said, I'm too laid back. I really couldn't care less for all the like petty drama like I said I do paramedic in for a living so like I know what real life drama actually is and what petty drama is and if you think I'm about to lose my mind over a little comment here and there like it's really not gonna be a thing and I'm sorry if that like comes across as boring or

you know people were like oh she's playing the nice girl but she's not really like it's not a thing like I just don't care about petty stuff to like have commented on it a bit more do you know what I mean no no I definitely agree and I think one thing as well is that people that don't understand when they're watching it they're constantly saying they want more pages to be in the show like people with careers and then they're like well they're not giving us all the drama and it's like well you know you kind of have to balance real life page and love island page and like work out what is more important to you because there are people that will quit their jobs and not want to go back to it so they have to put as much effort into love island as physically possible yeah um whereas like you know you said that being a paramedic is like not just a job for

you it's like a passion yeah I actually like love my job so yeah do you ever get worried about people saying like making comments about um well I mean it might not be something you've experienced yet but I'd be really interested to know so like when I talk about politics on TikTok people like shut up because you're a girl in a bikini have you experienced that already even though it's been like a couple of weeks do you know thankfully I haven't but I think that's partly my own doing

because when I say I literally like live in a bubble right now I don't look at like I try to avoid my comments to like to a certain degree so I don't want to read the negative stuff and I don't want to read bitchy comments because I just I don't need to so I try and I haven't really posted anything either like I'm so bad on my socials I've literally not posted for anyone to even have anywhere to comment on so I've not yet experienced that but I'm sure there will be some people that will have things

to say but we're gonna rise above it what would you say to people that would automatically assume because you've gone on love island you are just a girl in a bikini I'll be like well that's obviously not true I literally have pictures of me in paramedic outfits before I went into Love Island so I'm not just a girl in a bikini I'm a girl in a paramedic outfit too talk about you can talk to my 30 grand certificate that says I've got my degree no um I really like admire that like take that you have on it because I know sometimes it can really bring you down, especially when you know that what people are saying isn't true. Yeah.

And I think it's really important to have that positive mindset. I guess, you know, Adam, your boyfriend. I got a boyfriend. Has already been through that process. So do you feel like maybe he's kind of helped you stay on that, on the better side of it, like stay away from comments and things? Oh, honestly, Adam has been so great coming out of all this.

Like he's been, like, honestly, he's literally just taken me under his wing, like held my hand for it all, bless him. But he will literally be like, oh, have you seen this? And I'll be like, no. And like, he's got to the point now where he doesn't even bother being like, Paige, have you seen what's being said'll be like, no. And like, he's got to the point now where he doesn't even bother being like,

Paige, have you seen what's being said? Or have you seen this article? Because he knows that I actually haven't. So there's like generally no point bringing it up to me because I will not have a clue what's being said. And I've also, we've also said as well, like, so at first we came out,

there was like an article that was, apparently Adam was like, oh, Adam Collard wants to go reconnect with his ex or something. And he was like, yeah. And he was like, Paige, you know, this isn't true. And I was like, Adam,ard wants to go reconnect with his ex or something. One of those ones. Yeah. He was like, Paige, you know, this isn't true. And I was like, Adam, I was like, if I saw it,

I wouldn't have even bat an eyelid because I know how all this works. I know what we are saying, what we've got going on. And I'm not about to let anything on the outside or people that have no thing in our relationship have any say on it and what I'm going to do and say towards you do I mean so I can see all these articles fine um is it going to be an issue between me and you no because

respectfully it's nothing to do with any of that on the outside so yeah I'm pretty good at blocking it all out and Adam's been so so helpful with everything as well I think um one of the things that a lot of people I've spoken to well well, people that have left shows like Love Island or single people that have like big social media presence says that they don't want to date someone in the public eye or have a boyfriend that's in the public eye because they're like fangirl around them. Does that like make you nervous?

Are you worried about those types of things in your relationship? Or because Adam's done it all before, he's kind of like the novelty's worn off? Do you know what? Like this was actually a conversation like he brought up to me. So I quite struggle sometimes to open up with my feelings

and to like tell people like how I really feel or what my real, like, when it comes to a guy, like if I have to tell, I can tell the girls or I could tell like my closest friends how I'm feeling,

but when it comes to actually telling the guy, I really find it hard. So, and I think Adam's got to the point now where like he reads my body language and he just knows that something's on my mind and he literally said to me like he's like are you worried about coming on the outside and it may be like not working because you think I'm going to be busy or whatever and I was like yeah like how did you know but it wasn't just that it was that like I'm not a very confident person so like I know Adam's a very good looking guy I know that

he's already got like fangirls like, left, right and center. And like, who can blame him? Do you know what I mean? Like, I'm also an Adam Carlyle fan. So like, yeah,

I really can't blame him. Like, honestly, it's a huge compliment that everyone like, kind of fancies him sort of thing. But, because I'm not like,

a hugely confident girl, like, I won't lie, I don't, like, I will, not compare myself, but I'll be like,

I'll put myself down compared to other girls. And then when I do that, I'll be like, well, I'd rather take myself out of the race than than lose do you know what I mean yeah so I'm very much like that so that is something that I've got to work on myself but he's been so lush he's been reassuring me the whole time and honestly it's not even his problem like it is a me problem that I've just got to find my own confidence back myself a little bit more

but hopefully that will come in a little bit of time. And then yeah, that will be, I'm sure it'll be put to bed. So why do you think that is? Do you think Adam may be feeling the same way? Or do you think it's just because it's a female intuition or something we've just naturally grown into as women to be like that? Yeah, do you know what? I think a lot of it, actually saying that the girls that I was just in love with, a lot of these girls had like such good confidence and I was literally like I was like in awe of like how much they backed themselves and how confident they were in themselves I was like do you know I wish I had that bit more about me I just I just don't I'm not really that kind of like honestly I hate having my photo taken because I hate stuff like that and like people come up to

me like you look so much better in person and I'll be like okay that's a backhanded compliment but thank you anyway so it's like little things like that I'll just pick up on I'll be like okay so if I look better in person then no I don't want to have my photo taken no I'm dreading being on like TV or having like videos taken because I've already been told so many times that I look better in person do you know what I mean so it's like all those like little things or you know it's just it's just me as a person like that thing is with me I know I can back my personality I can do that but absolutely fine but it's the appearance side the superficial stuff that I struggle with but I do think actually that that probably does stem down to like being a woman especially in the public eye because you're

put on blast all the time for your appearance like yeah like I just said to you like I need to put my lipstick on because I can't please everybody yeah and I've had that comment like you look so much better in person you look so much better in real life I remember probably before Christmas last year I was dating somebody and a boy didn't even speak to me said to the guy I was with oh mate you're so lucky because she looks so much better in person and that's just rude I've never like

could you ever imagine a woman turning around to Adam and be like oh you look so much better in person like I just don't think it would ever happen

no I don't think no and girls wouldn't say that to guys either would they I don't feel like a girl would ever because girls know

that that is rude it's not a nice thing to say it's not a nice compliment so I can't imagine girls actually going up to guys girl would ever, because girls know that that is rude. It's not a nice thing to say. It's not a nice compliment. So I can't imagine girls actually going up to guys, A, giving compliments anyway, because girls were just not like that. And then B, like being that savage about it.

Do you know what I mean? Do you find that those kinds of comments impact your confidence even more? Or do you kind of just brush them off? No, they do. Any comments about appearance for me like they do take a little bit of a hit I won't lie but that's already because it's something that I lack confidence in so then when I do hear them I'm just like yeah thanks for the reminder that was great thanks

moving on and then I'll just like try and avoid that conversation or avoid that person then be like right move on quickly yeah no I I definitely get that and um you know I think it's something that naturally will come with time I think especially now because you're such in the intense bubble like you've put it it would be a lot harder to deal with now and because it's on steroids yeah hopefully like you know in time it will calm down and if Adam's being so wonderful then like hopefully it will help a lot more but yeah no I can I can completely relate and understand to that so you know throughout this episode we've talked a lot about your journey as

a paramedic um your love for the elderly um so you know we we've seen so many stories already about islanders from your series coming out and signing all these big deals which is amazing but I really want to know like what your plans are post Love Island okay so first things first we're gonna get my job back that is a meet on Monday we're gonna get my job back that will be great hopefully anyway think like pray for Paige yeah pray for Paige um and then so what I want to do when I come out I want it to be meaningful I want it to be true to myself and like I said elderly for me a huge soft spot too much love from and you know like at Christmas time there's

like a campaign it's like dinner with elderly like and loneliness and things like that I really want to just bridge the gap between youngsters the the elderly, and try and stop all this loneliness going on in the world. Because even youngsters get lonely. They can have their phones and social media, but are they truly happy like that? Do they actually have human connections and everything else? Because we get so engrossed with the phones. So what I want to do is really bridge the gap between youngsters, elderly,

get them together, little things. Can you imagine how many people have family and they've had to move away, but they know they've left their mums or nans or granddads in a country that they're not able to get to by themselves. And these people are lonely and they know that they're lonely. And it could be like, I want it to be a thing where they can reach out, drop a name,

obviously get the consent of the family member first and be like, like right what about meeting up and you know come around have a cup of i don't know some i'm gonna figure out a way to like bridge this gap between youngsters and elderly like let's decrease loneliness in the world like let's get more human interaction going on because i think the world has become so phone and social media based now that sometimes you just need a good wake-up call and a reality check and be like chat with this elderly lady listen to what she has to say, just understand like life from a different perspective

and see like how much more life can have to give than just social media. I don't want to be just another social media person. Do you know what I mean? Like the world has so much more to give, so much more. I feel like we should get that as a hashtag trending pray for Paige.

For you to get your paramedic job back. I obviously, I have so much faith that you will. But for me, that's so amazing to hear that you want to do something different and something new, because I don't actually feel like we've had ever in all of the eight series, an Islander that's so passionate

about working with elderly. Yeah. And actually, you know, especially, you know, your experience of being a paramedic during the pandemic, you've seen loneliness so much firsthand. And I honestly can't wait to see like what you can do with that

and what charities slide into the DMs and try and get you on board with their work. And, you know, we've had conversations briefly about ones already. So I'm really excited to see what you do with that. But I have started to ask every guest the same question as like the final question. Okay. And I also am really interested to hear your answer.

So the final question is, what would you say to those people that doubt your current success or your future success based on the fact that you're a woman? Baby, you do you and let me do me boo we'll see who comes up on top we'll see who comes up on top no that's short and sweet and I and I love it and honestly I think that you know you have a lot going for yourself and just a huge testament to like what you do in the NHS so I don't doubt that but thank you very much for being

my third guest and I'm so happy to have had you. Oh, thank you for having me. I've had the best time, honestly. Thank you. Thanks. Hi, I'm Richard Karn. And you may have seen me on TV talking about the world's number one expandable garden hose. Well, the brand new Pocket Hose Copperhead with Pocket Pivot is here. And it's a total game changer.

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