We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson - I Went On Love Island For REVENGE! | We’re Talking LOVE ISLAND

Episode Date: July 31, 2025

We’re Talking LOVE ISLAND: Three of the most unforgettable stars - Maura Higgins, Faye Winter and Megan Barton-Hanson reveal what REALLY happened on and off screen ◽️ Maura tells us why she went on the show and what happened when the cameras stopped rolling ◽️ Faye opens up about the moment that triggered over 25,000 complaints and how it broke her ◽️ Megan shares the bold decision she made before entering the villa - and how it changed everything This episode includes discussion about suicidal ideation. Please keep this in mind when deciding if, how, and when you’ll listen. CALM: https://g2ul0.app.link/uULaUXcM3Nb MIND: https://g2ul0.app.link/gbuRaxjM3Nb (00:00) Intro (01:11) Maura Higgins On Aftermath of Love Island (12:36) Faye Winter on Love Island's Biggest Argument (18:57) Megan Barton-Hanson's REAL Reason For Going On Love Island Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Hilton sale is on now. Book on Hilton.com or the Hilton app and save up to 20% to get the stay you expected. When you want savings, not surprises. It matters where you stay. Hilton for the stay. Welcome to We're Talking. Every Thursday will bring you the most unforgettable moments from We Need to Talk.

The stories that sparked debate made you pause and most importantly got everyone talking. Every summer, there's one show that takes over our screens and that's married at first sight. But then second to that is Love Island. I am a Love Island fan. And I think what we do is we end up getting fixated and sucked in to what we're going to what we're becomes this obsessive treat for us. And in particular, there's three people who have truly stood out over the years, Moore Higgins, Faye Winter,

and Megan Barton Hansen. They have a lot to say about their experience on the show, what happened behind the scenes, but more importantly, what happened when the cameras stopped rolling. A quick heads up, some of the conversation includes suicidal thoughts, so please take care while watching.

Without further ado, today we're talking Love Island. Mora, I did not realize that you went to Love Island basically as a revenge. I was on a revenge strike. Is that why you walked into Love Island so bold? Yeah. Epic walk in when you came in. I went in there like guns blazing. Internally, I was so angry.

I was like, I've just been cheated on. I was like, you know, she's going to be. be trouble. This one right here is going to be trouble. That's how you felt? All right, let's talk a little behind the scenes because I've been in reality TV for some time. And I know that normally when you have someone who comes in late, they're there to stir things up. Yeah. I was actually meant to be starting line up and they moved me. I think when they got to know me a bit, they were like, oh, send her in a bit later. So you felt as if you were intentionally sent in there to stir things up. I think my first interview, I was really drunk. Yeah, I was really drunk and I remember

the brief said, dress how you would on a first day. And I rocked up in a in a track suit and trainers. And I was steaming. Absolutely steaming. I did not care. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Strategically, though, because at the end of the day, to stay, it is about audience voting, but it's also about you coupling and being in what feels like or what presents itself as, a loving relationship. So does that become part of the strategy? You're in a house, you're in there for X amount of time. You're going to start liking people that you wouldn't normally like.

Not to be mean, but you are. You're in there. I'm pretty sure it'd probably be the same on Big Brother. You're locked in that house. You're not seeing any other men. You're going to be like, oh, why not? You know? So there was a bunch of why not men in there?

Well, yeah. I mean, you're not your dream man, are there? But, like, it's the aim of the game. It is, it is. So there was no man in there that was a dream man. They were all why not? Absolutely not. That's fair.

Yeah, no. Could I say, though, what you're speaking is science, actually. It is called the law of proximity and also the law of propinquity. Oh, wow. Where the longer you spend time with someone, especially on, stressful situations, the more that you become endeared and connected to them. Yeah. So this is why you drop anyone on an island?

Yeah. They're having sex. They think they're going to fall in love. They think they are in love. But they're not, because the minute they go home, they're going to kill each other. You know? Yes. And this happens on Love Island all the time.

Yeah, it does. That series also happened to be, I'm sure you know, it was the most watched series of all time in the UK, series five of Love Island. What do you think it was? It was. It was. It was that when you got into that villa, the public wasn't on your side. No. Immediately no. Pierce Morgan said on live TV that you should be dragged out of the villa by the head of your hair. And I was like, God, I love Pierce Morgan. I loved it. Oh, you loved it? Oh, yeah, I loved it. I just thought it was hilarious. Oh, my God. And I was branded a predator. I also found. it very funny.

I was like, I remember a man we going, that is not funny. And I was like, that is a bit. Like, I'm not a predator now. Like, but it is funny.

Um, but yeah, I was not very well liked. Obviously, I didn't know that. Thank God. No, but I know,

I mean, you are without question and I knew you would be this way before meeting you. Now I can fully say, you're incredibly resilient. There's no doubt about that. You're resilient.

Yeah. But it still must feel draining in a way to know and feel as if the public is against you or feels a certain way about you. I don't really don't. Like, it's weird. Like, if I go on to the Daily Mail comments, like, I do it because I just want to laugh. Okay. I don't really read the comments and go, they don't know me. Sure.

They're not my family. They're not my friends. I don't really care. Interesting. What are in the comments? What do you see? Mostly I see she can't keep a man. That's one of the, lately that's one of the biggest ones. Like, I think it's quite empowering to know when to walk away and not put up with that shit. And I just won't put up with her. And maybe I'll never have a man because of that. I don't feel I need one. Do I want one? Yeah. That'd be nice. I want a family. I'd love a husband. I don't have a husband,

but I don't need one. I genuinely don't. If it doesn't happen, I'm absolutely fine. Like, I've got enough self-love. So I'm like, whatever. Yes, yes. So then take me

to the moment that you walk out of Love Island. Because that's a moment that a lot of people, you know, on these projects, look at it. because their life changes. Do you feel like your life changed when you walked out?

Massively. How so? Very, very hard time in my life. Like, never spoke about it. I was just dropped to the UK. It was like someone just picked me up, dropped me to the UK. And I was in the public eye. I had nowhere to live.

I had no friends, no family, nobody I could trust. and I'm a very, very, like I've done everything by myself. I've been independent my whole life. But that was a lot. That was scary. Very, very scary. And I remember a lot of times I was faking a smile. Work was so busy.

I was getting barely any sleep. I remember my girlfriend back in Ireland. I was in a hotel I don't remember any of this because she had to fill me in all of a sudden I'm outside my hotel room door is shut behind me

and I'm on the phone to her I have no recollection of how I got there where I was what I was doing and she was crying and she was going Maura are you okay and I remember going what the hell is going on she was like no more you're actually scaring me

and she was like where are you I'm outside the hotel room, what is going on? And she went, you were asleep. I called you. You woke up and all you kept saying is, I'm not allowed to sleep. I can't sleep. I can't do this.

And I was, I was like, obviously just not mentally okay. I think I was just so overworked. And I just, I'll never forget. I'll never forget. Yeah. Yeah. How many, like, what was your Instagram following jump? I think I went in there with like 40,000.

I came out with, I don't know, it must have been 2 million maybe. See? I mean. Yeah, it was wild. It's just wild. So you have PAPS following you, etc. Yeah.

You're probably being booked to do public appearances every week. So you feel like you almost had a breakdown. You did have a breakdown. I had a breakdown. Yeah. I had dark thoughts very dark thoughts people are probably looking from the outside

and saying she like she hit the lottery like I wish I could trade places with her I wish I could be here and you're saying that you were in a very dark place if I turned back if I was to turn back time I would have not taken on as much as I did

I didn't realize this waited so much on you that period How dark was it? Pretty dark. Is there anything, because you come out the other side, well, you know, I'm going to go there just because I think this is going to be helpful. When you say pretty dark, what is pretty dark? I didn't want to be here anymore.

I thought that was going to be the best thing. I couldn't keep. I felt like there was so much expected from me. and because I was there on my own, I was like, I've just nobody to help. You know, people say moving house is stressful. Moving house is very stressful. Moving country, while being thrown into the public eye, is terrifying. Yes.

In that moment, you wanted to take your life. So this is going to be so helpful to so many people. How did you go from that moment? of wanting to take your life to that space a year later talking to your mother and she said that you're back. What were those steps? My girlfriend back in Ireland, she called my agent at the time, behind my back. She's a queen. Yes.

And she basically demanded that I come back to Ireland for a break. And I got to go home. I can't remember how long for. I just had my home comforts, you know, my, my mommy, my family, my best friend. I slept. I remember, I shot a Grazie cover magazine. Okay. And I couldn't believe I got, I was like, I'm shooting a Gratia.

Like, I was like, oh my God, how? Like, that was like, how the hell am I doing this? I don't remember most of it. I do not remember most of it. I was, I was falling asleep on a stool while I was getting my makeup done. I didn't get to take it in. I didn't get to enjoy it. I was miserable.

Like, just, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it. What a woman. I'm telling you, she, she, she literally could have made the difference between you being here and not. Yeah. It was just a lot all at one. I feel it. I feel it. But I tell you, from the outside looking in,

you would have never known. Never would have known. I would have thought that was, you were at the top of the world. I wish I was. I wish. Thank you. Can we talk about Love Island for a second? But more so, how do you get to Love Island?

One, I said to my mum and my dad and my sister, I said, don't worry, I won't be on it very long. I said, they'll have me out in a week. I said, they won't like me, they won't like my personality. No one will pick me. No one will fancy me. Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a week.

I took a sabbatical for me. work. I said, don't worry about it. I'll be back. Why not? And your friends and family were supportive? Yeah, well, my dad, not so much but he didn't really understand it. He's fine. So, clearly, there was a little argument that happened there. There was a few arguments, yeah.

There were a few arguments. You know, so what I did is, you know, what I find interesting is how we in society, we attribute, we associate, people with events times and many people associate you with one specific argument that happened. I want to hear from your perspective a few years removed when you think about that argument

knowing but then transpired. How do you view it? I came out and I didn't know at the time. I had no idea that obviously it had blown up to the point that it had. I didn't, I was really, I was really embarrassed when I felt, like I was, and I still to this day, I'm really embarrassed that actually, why didn't you just let people know you've really hurt, Faye? So I'm annoyed, I'm not annoyed because it's, it's happened now, and I've spent years owning it and apologising for it. And that was my biggest thing when I came out, I said,

I'm going to own it. And regardless of if that is the end of my career in TV, I'm going back to a state agency anyway. It's fine. I don't mind people laughing with me, but don't laugh at me. Don't make a mockery of me. I saw a young woman who was hurt and was in pain and was acting out all that pain.

Like, you know, when people say, when you get cornered, you feel like you're cornered. When you feel like you're cornered, you then lash out. Yeah. Because there's nowhere else for you to go. Now, there were 25,000 off-com reports. So this is one of the most reported incidents in reality TV history. Yeah. I mean, that must weigh on you.

It felt like there was 25,000 people against me. me but I also had to put on a brave face and just get on with life because life doesn't stop. I just remember feeling like I'd let everyone down like I'd let my mum down let my dad down. I'd let my sister down like everyone close to me I just remember being like oh my God I've let everyone down and I then need to try and find a way out of it I need to try and find my way through it but it got. hell of a lot worse before it got better. You were, you said that you were not in Devon.

No. So you, had you moved in with your partner from the show? Yeah. You two moved in. Okay. So despite the argument, you reconciled. Yeah. Like, I think he was, he was, he was, he was fine about it in the end.

Like, I had apologised. And I think also on the show, it didn't really show like the way, my full apology and the way that I had apologize to him for. it. I spent 18 months trying to make up to him and like prove that I wasn't that person and that I'm not somebody that's always on the defensive

but at the same time I wasn't that I didn't I didn't trust him. I was in just a real vulnerable vulnerable state. When you come out of Love Island you've already got a path that's been carved for you and it's very

one dimensional. It's very fast fashion. beauty, hair and I didn't want to do any of that whereas my partner at the time I would say he thrived on it a bit more than I did but again I went back to the person

that I would rather be at home but it didn't feel like home so your partner wanted that you didn't want that is that one of the reasons why the relationship didn't work yeah I think certainly that was one of the massive reasons.

There was always question marks over if I trusted him. I would resent him for going out because I didn't know what messages or videos or anything that I was going to get by the end of that night. And that was a really shit place to be in. Interesting. Because he's now a public figure. Yeah. So people are spotting him with other people sending you message.

sending you videos. Yeah. So you were able to split up with your partner. Did you move back to Devin at that point? Okay. And I lived on my own, just me and Bonnie.

And it's the least lonely I've ever felt in my whole entire life. I don't feel lonely at all. And then everything just started to fall into place. Megan, you were invited to Love Island early and you decided not to go on or what happened. You're great at protecting your data, but lots of places could still expose you to identity theft.

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And I was like, still shy. Still too shy to do. But I'm not trying to like go in there and be a bulldozer. I just physically can't. As much as I did gain so much confidence. I still am like an introvert. Like I don't want to be the centre of attention all the time. Like going and like fuck shit up.

Is it all? No, it's a no. It's too much pressure. Okay. a come knocking. Again, was it your objective to try to use this to then what propel everything, only fans, everything? So I was, I kind of got sick of webcam at this point.

So bare a minute, I'd been at the strip club at 19, started, I'm now 24. Okay. So that's, what's the mouse? Fine. Yeah. That's why she's a stripper. It's all good. It's all good.

We all have different talents, you know? Yeah. Quick months is of night. So, yeah, five years in the sex industry, I'm over, webcaming, dancing, just hearing men's comments on my body at this point. I'm shy. I'll be in there a week, but my following is going to go through the roof, and that means I can charge more for my only fans.

Okay. That was all I was there for. Now, the focus was, how can you grow more only fan subscribers? Make money, because I don't really have a job at this point. We're just trying to get the money. Okay, fair. So now, real question here, how many other people do you think on Love Island were there for the money as well? 95%.

95% if who would admit it, won. You. Right. So 95% according to you, right, are there for the money. But because of that, because we know the industry, right, we know that, okay, so that means that you have to, you know, you need a storyline, right? So did you go in thinking, okay, I need to really almost own a character? The producers were like, you and Wes have a little something. Why don't you chat to him?

It was like, no, no, no. It's with Laura. I don't want to do that. Like, don't you think it would be kind of iconic though? He did. That's like, yeah, actually. It would. So you were thinking, iconic.

Yeah. Yes. Yes. But I didn't think, obviously, he was a lot younger than me. I was 24, he was 21, and I just thought, he's probably in here for the same sort of reasons I'm in here, to be famous, to be nine, for whatever he wanted to do it as the angle,

I didn't know and you couldn't really discuss on camera, but I thought it was on the same sort of page. I'd done that, and I didn't expect to, like, catch feelings of him, but I did, it's weird. I was in there for eight weeks, and yeah, I did fall in love, which is kind of not annoying, it was beautiful, and I love it, and I don't regret it. But, oh, I just feel bad.

Then people actually go in there for love and don't find it. And there's me just trying to boost the older, I'm new fans. Like, I'm out like, oh, my God, I'm in love. And you fell in love. Yeah. You fell in love. Do you feel as if, so you loved Wes? You feel as if he loved you?

I think he did. I think to go through that sort of experience where you're both normal people. And then you come out with Newfound. and opportunities and experiences that can be overwhelming and scary. I remember doing things and I think if it wasn't for him, the first time we walked through an airport, there were crowds and paps, and my hands were shaking, and his hands were shaking. I was like, oh, I'm so glad I'm not doing this on my own.

Yes. And I think for that I'll always treasure, like, him and then times we had. But I think really he was about 21. I think he's an amazing, wonderful guy, but age and life, you know. But when you got out, when you both got out, you're now in a relationship, right? You're trying to make your work. At the same time, your original goal was, I'm here to make money.

I thought there'd be a bit of backlash for the sex work, the only fans. But it was so much hate. So they call me Muggy Megan on the front page of the sun. And it wasn't just about being a sex worker. It's about my looks and my appearance. And I really was like, it felt to me like, public enemy number one like everybody hated me

they were like had lads in her sleazy pass this that I mean at that point I can't imagine how you're feeling because you had this plan right and the plan is now just falling apart in front of you and do you feel like the press was playing you're the bad girl

Wes is the good guy yeah but not even about playing me against him It's just me by myself. Like, they don't like to see a woman that's confident, goes for what she was. I don't think it was very nice for people to see that I was with a really respectable, beautiful man, like, Yao before. And then things didn't work out with Yao. And then I got with Wes.

They thought, oh, who does she think she is? She's just a stripper, like this, bring her down a few notches, maybe. They don't like assertive women, I feel. No, this is where I have some experience in this. Right. Because, I mean, I've had countless articles, you know, written about me that are not positive, but never to the degree that I've seen articles written about you, especially like the front page, you know. And what I also find interesting is is that these were folks who were writing articles not about what you were saying, but about how you looked. it feels like we're right back at you in childhood. So reading those, how are you feeling reading that?

Like, awful, honestly. I, it was hell. And it was even before my feet had even touched down in the UK, was all allowed out after the final party to be in this holding villa. We put on YouTube to play music. What's on there? Megan before and after. how vile she was before.

And it's like the picture they'd used, I was 16 or so, I was a child. So I'm just lucky that like God or whoever was just watching over me was like, let me give this poor cow a break and let her like, at least for love for a minute while she's going through this shit storm.

It was the love that got you through. Reality stars are often put under a microscope and it's easy to forget they're real people with real feelings. I think my biggest takeaway is that we all need to be a bit kinder. These shows are entertainment, yes, but the impact of those involved is very real. If you want to hear the full, unfiltered conversations with Mora, Fay, and Megan,

you can find those episodes by searching for their names on the We Need to Talk page. Thank you so much for watching.