Sieze The Day

As the face of ITV’s Love Island, Bray native Laura Whitmore is riding high. Niamh O’Reilly takes a look at what makes this fearless lady tick

When Laura Whitmore first moved to London in 2008, she wrote her favourite song lyric on a chalkboard in the flat-share she lived in. It read: “No one can change your life except for you.” It was the first line of a Wilson Phillips song, Hold On from 1990, made famous once again most recently by its use in the movie Bridesmaids. More than just a lyric for Laura, it’s become her mantra for living and from buying the single on cassette in Golden Discs in her hometown of Bray as a child, to becoming the title of her best-selling book, the philosophy has sustained her through good and bad times.

“It's how I've chosen to live my life,” she writes.

“There is a freedom when you take back control. Stop waiting for someone to save you and do it yourself.”

The 37-year-old is not letting anything stand in her way. She has spent a lifetime manifesting opportunities and being the hero of her own story. “We don't have to wait for Prince Charming to rescue us or wait for the opportunity to come to us. We can be our own heroines. We can create our own dreams,” she writes in her 2021 book. As well as adding bestselling author to her CV, Laura is also a top radio presenter on BBC’s Radio Five Live and hosts several podcasts including Castaway.

She took charge of her own life at a young age, winning MTV’s search for a new face in 2008, beating out hundreds of other applicants. It was life-changing. But five years before her big break, an 18-year-old Laura also appeared on ¬ The Late Late Show stage as a contestant in the Irish Supermodel of the Year Competition. Laura made the final 15 from over 6,000 girls. With such a driven attribute and eagerness to seize the day, it might be safe to assume that Laura was always the outgoing, confident woman she is today? Not exactly.

“I was quite shy as a child, until my teacher told my mam that I wasn’t really talking enough in class and that I was quiet in school”, she told Tammy Darcey, founder of The Shona Project.

“So she sent me to drama class in Bray with Iris Keogh to get me out of my shell a little bit. “My mam laughed and said ‘I don’t know what I created, but you came home with an attitude and a hand on your hip’,” she laughs.

Most recently Laura has become even more famous thanks to her hosting one of the biggest shows in the world, ITV’s Love Island, which counts superstars like Amy Schumer and Cara Delevingne as fans. It’s become the definition of event television and in 2019 our own Maura Higgins made headlines around the world for calling out the male misogyny and double standards sheexperienced on the show. For those unfamiliar, Love Island sees single contestants enter a stunning villa in Majorca for eight weeks to ‘find love’ and compete for the prize of £50,000. But why has it become such a phenomenon?

“I think it’s so popular because it comes back to, as humans, we just love being part of people’s relationships and seeing people’s journeys,”

Laura says. “¬The fan base is such a wide range of people, from grandparents to younger viewers. It’s not just for people the same age as the Islanders.”

When she’s not being stopped on the street to dish the dirt about the show, Laura’s waxing lyrical about it with celebrity fans. “On my radio show I was interviewing Amy Schumer on a video call for a new TV series she had. We started talking and I think we got a minute in, and Amy turned around and went, ‘I’m really sorry, but are you Laura Whitmore from Love Island?’ I knew she loved the show but I was trying really hard to be professional. We only had six minutes to talk and we just talked about Love Island. We didn’t talk about her show at all and then the time was up! ¬ at was really funny,” she recalls.

Of course, there can be no mention of Love Island that doesn’t inevitably remind people about the tragic death of the show’s previous presenter Caroline Flack, who died by suicide in 2020. At the time, Laura had been drafted in to replace Flack who’d stepped down from the show as she dealt with a charge of abuse towards her boyfriend. Laura and Caroline were colleagues and firm friends for a decade before she passed away and Caroline was happy that it was Laura who had been chosen to replace her on the show she loved so much.

After Caroline’s sad passing, Laura bravely took the opportunity to lead a moving tribute to her friend on her BBC 5 Live programme. It was a hugely difficult and significant moment and in fact as she spoke, she debated whether or not she would even come on the air.

She told listeners, “yesterday we lost someone before their time. Anyone who knew Caroline knew she was vivacious, loving, and had a passion for life, which is why none of this makes sense.”

“She also had many struggles. I’m not going to pretend that she was perfect, but is anyone? She lived every mistake publicly under the scrutiny of the media. Caroline loved love. ¬ That’s all she wanted, which is why Love Island is so important to her because the show is about finding love, friendship, having a laugh.” Laura also used the opportunity to strongly speak out against vicious internet trolls who targeted Caroline online and tabloid publications that took advantage of her for clickbait or nastily pitted women against one another.

Laura ended the courageous speech by adding, “Caroline, I’m so sad for you, for your family. I’m angry that you saw this as your only option as I know how much love and support you had. I’m sorry you didn’t know that. I’m not sure when, but I’m sure I’ll see you on a dancefloor again. I hope you’re at peace and know that you are loved.”

Laura has always been a vocal advocate for women and has never been afraid to use her platform to speak out on issues such as the #MeToo movement.

In the past she’s written candidly about her own experience of feeling sexually harassed and violated in nightclubs or even walking past groups of men. In 2018, she tweeted: “Upskirting should be a criminal offence and not supported by our media outlets. It’s a violation of privacy and degrading of women.”

Laura, who counts the likes of fellow Irish woman Samantha Barry, editor in- chief of Glamour magazine as a close friend, is also vocal about women supporting each other, rather than falling into the trap of being pitted against one another. Heroes support heroes after all. “I remember Samantha Barry and myself first met in one of our first jobs in Newstalk. I just love Sam, we’ve been friends for years now and she’s one of those people who just lifts people,” she said speaking to Tammy Darcey, founder of ¬ The Shona Project.

“Every now and then I’ll get an email from her and she’ll CC me in with someone else from the industry that I don’t know and say ‘you two should know each other, I think you’ll help each other’. I love that and love how women connect. I think once we stop competing against each other and start collaborating that’s when real change and real exciting things happen.”

Life has certainly not been dull for Laura and in March 2021 she embarked on a new adventure giving birth to her first child, a baby girl called Stevie Ré, with husband and Love Island colleague Iain Sterling. Known for being fiercely protective of her private life and wanting to do things on her own terms, Laura only announced the pregnancy in December of 2020 with a humorous post on Instagram. “I want to now share good news as it’s our news to share - and I'm gonna be honest it’s starting to look like my lockdown beer belly is out of control.

“Iain and I are expecting a baby early 2021. It's been hard to keep such happy news quiet. Especially the times when I’ve had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin or my penchant for a bowl of mashed potato in the morning. We’d appreciate our privacy respected but just wanted to spread some love and a reminder of the beauty of life.”

Motherhood has been a natural fit for Laura, who’s no doubt eager to show her daughter how to be the hero of her own story as she grows up. However, at times Laura has felt the need to address criticism she’s received for having a positive experience of new motherhood. Writing on her Instagram page in April 2021, she said, “little tip for speaking to new mums... everyone has a different experience so please don’t put your opinion on them. I’ve been told I won’t be able to leave the house. But I actually feel the best I’ve felt ever and the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. And maybe feel a bit guilty for feeling good as I’ve been told I shouldn’t.

“I am lucky that’s my truth at the moment- I’m sure there will be tougher days. But you should never compare yourself to anyone else as your journey is specific to you. Stop comparing bodies and situations.

Support other women, it doesn’t knock you - in fact it empowers you.” Strong, outspoken, and courageous,

Laura continues to work hard for the opportunities she’s created and will no doubt continue to be her own saviour in her story. As she writes in her book:

“Nothing worthwhile comes easy. It’s all a hustle, but as you’re hustling keep reflecting back to that purpose. Even though your purpose may change, life constantly has struggles, so make sure what you are hustling for has worth in your heart.”

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