Jennifer Zamparelli has welcomed the new supports announced for Love Island contestants, calling her own stint on reality TV “traumatic”.
The 2FM host, who appeared on the 2008 series of BBC show The Apprentice said that nothing can prepare someone for sudden fame.
“It was so traumatic I’m amazed I got out of it unscathed.”
“I had no media background, I had no entertainment background. I was in business.
“On Love Island, on Big Brother, on these shows, you go in and you’re a character.”
During her time in the Apprentice house, she said, contestants weren’t fed properly and were driven to sleep-deprivation.
“It’s so easy to have a breakdown when you come out of a show like that because you’re thrust into a completely different world that you’re not equipped to deal with.”
The hardest part, she added, was when an ex-boyfriend spoke to a newspaper about their private life.
Jennifer, who is soon set to front her own 2FM show, said that she is “so glad” that Love Island contestants are to get new support including therapy.
The change was announced after the death of 2017 Love Island contestant Mike Thalasstitis at the weekend.
“The fact that ITV has put these things in place is monumental because it’s too hard to deal with on your own especially when you don’t know what to do with it,” Jennifer continued.
“You don’t know what to do with this fame and it doesn’t last long. And if the phone doesn’t ring they’re like “did I do something wrong?
“Be prepared if you are going to put yourself into that world.”
