Elma Pazar rejected the chance to appear on this year’s ‘Love Island’ from the start – but later changed her mind.
The 26-year-old eyelash technician was due to be among the initial 12 Islanders who headed into the ITV2 show’s villa for the first episode, but she declined an offer from the programme’s bosses because she "wasn’t ready for it", but later went back on her decision and entered on the 10th day.
She said: "I was given the offer to [go in at the start], but I just think at that very time I wasn’t ready for it.
"My head space was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want this, I don’t know if I want the fame.’
"Because initially when you go in for the first time you’re going to be in there for a while, there’s a big build up to it so people get to know you, there will stories and stuff, and I was like, ‘I just don’t know if I’m ready for it.’
"I initially declined it, and then once the show came on I was like, ‘I take that back, I want to do it.’ "
Elma was later dumped from the island after just six days in the villa, and while she is disappointed, she believes she stayed in there "as long as [she] needed to".
She said: "I’m a little bit gutted, but I feel everything happens for a reason. I stayed in as long as I needed to.
"I went on it for love and that was my biggest fear. I was thinking to myself the worst thing would be … you think now, in today’s society, people are only going on there for a status, if you like, and I was thinking, ‘I’m never going to find the love of my life in there.’
"But I did grow to like Anton."
Elma was axed shortly after coupling up with Anton Danyluk, and while the 24-year-old gym owner revealed in the villa his mum shaves his bum, the intimate mother-son grooming didn’t put her off him.
Speaking on ‘Lorraine’, she added: "I didn’t know the plucking thing until very recently. I knew she shaved it and I knew she helped him, but I didn’t know the extent of it.
"It didn’t [put me off him]. He’s so lovely.
"After a certain age your mum shouldn’t see certain areas."
Elma Pazar rejected Love Island before changing her mind
