I interviewed Love Island's Sophie Lee weeks after her ‘face fell off' – she's overcome ‘constant' pain & a month in ICU
LOVE Islanders are notorious for scrubbing their social media in the days leading up to the Villa, leaving only the most polished snaps up on their feeds.
But open Sophie Lee's page even today and the photos pinned to the top, from 2019 and 2020, show her with huge swollen scars protruding from her face.
10
Sophie Lee nearly died when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face, as she was fire dancing at a nightclub
Credit: Sophie Lee
10
She developed keyloid scars as a result, which had to later be frozen off as they threatened to 'engulf her face'
Credit: Sophie Lee
10
Sophie Lee is among those entering the Love Island villa on Monday
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Personally I'm not surprised. As someone who interviewed Sophie twice right in the thick of her struggles, I know she's different from some of the ultra-superficial women who grace our screens in their bikinis.
When I first spoke to Manchester-based Sophie, she was 23, and it was days before Christmas 2018. Fabulous was one of the first publications to share her story with the world.
Airy and bright during our chat, you'd have no idea what she was going through without visual proof. Her attitude was amazing, especially for someone so young.
A professional fire dancer, Sophie was permanently scarred when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face in a freak accident in April 2018.
After her face went up in flames, she spent a month in intensive care, and emerged from the trauma with a whole new attitude on life.
In her own words, the accident made Sophie 'toughen up and grow a thicker skin'.
She told me: 'I just have to accept myself for me. I think sometimes people stare because they don't know how to ask. It's not intentionally rude, I think they're just curious and don't know what to say.
"I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened.'
Love Island weight loss plans, makeovers and even non-surgical tweakments are now common-place among the contestants, all religiously documented on social media as the competitive TV show enters its 10th year.
All Stars' Gabby Allen even flogged her pre-villa fitness plan when she emerged as the show's most recent winner.
Love Island's New Star Fire Breather Sophie Lee's Shocking Injury Story
Sophie, who had a five-figure following as an influencer well before Love Island came knocking, wasn't immune to body confidence concerns before her accident.
She told me: 'In school I went through that phase of 'oh, I'm massive, I'm this and that,' because I think you naturally do when you're that age.
'Everyone's judging each other, you're growing boobs, you're like 'oh, I don't know what this is'. I think everyone kind of has body issues going through high school.
'All my friends had big boobs or had legs, and I've always been a bit up and down on the scale of my weight.
'Especially with the industry I was in (of dance and performing), I was always scrutinised for how you look.
"But with this accident it's crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been."
10
Sophie was a professional fire dancer before her accident
Credit: Instagram
10
It's been six and a half years since Fabulous' Josie Griffiths first interviewed her
Credit: instagram/sophirelee
10
After having cryo surgery, Sophie couldn't leave the house without a black mask on
Credit: Sophie Lee
Despite early signs her facial scars were healing well, Sophie later developed dramatic keloids on her chin.
Keloids are benign tumours which grow in areas of trauma and are more common in people with olive or black skin, or in Sophie's case having Chinese heritage.
She said: "Dancing's all about getting dressed up, glitz and glam, I've always loved that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not myself and I know I'll never be myself again.
"That's something I have to accept and it has been hard to accept that - but also without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden.'
We spoke for a second time in June 2019, just weeks after Sophie had ground-breaking cryo surgery.
Never one to shy away from the gruesome details, or hide behind edited pics, Sophie's PR pitched the story to me with an email entitled 'My face came off in my hands.'
Without this scar I would be dead. That's the way I look at it, I don't look at it as a burden
Sophie Lee
Explaining the NHS-funded op at the time, Sophie said: "The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. Liquid nitrogen was pumped in to kill it.
"At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous.
'In hospital I just felt like a giant slug, I couldn't move or do anything.
"Then it just started leaking liquid nitrogen. Over the space of two months, it was starting to dry out and peel away.
"It was horrendous, the skin was dying and it was on my face. I couldn't really move my neck, it was just so painful.
The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous
Sophie Lee
"When it actually detached I couldn't feel anything, because it had already died.
"But at the start it was really raw, fresh skin. Showering was unbearable.
"For a good month I couldn't really do anything. I had to change the dressings at least twice a day - they were soaking wet all the time.
"I couldn't leave the house because I had to take so many dressings and pads with me."
10
Sophie's story will be what sets her apart from the other Love Islanders
Credit: sophirelee/Instagram
10
Sophie's scars were 'angry and violent' before she had them removed
Credit: Instagram/@sophirelee
She now keeps her dead skin in the freezer, in a small Tupperware box, explaining it's "next to the peas, no big deal".
Sophie, who's been celibate for eight months, had the treatment in March 2019, as her tumours threatened to engulf her face.
She told me: "Keloid scarring is a form of benign tumour, it was going to carry on growing and slowly overtake my face.
"It was very painful and becoming a big burden. I had started to lose movement on my neck, because it was growing so rapidly.
"The scars got so big you couldn't see my neck, it came down to my chin.
"Because of my ethnicity, being Chinese, it was really angry and violent.
"The longer I left it, the bigger the keloids would have gotten. I was in so much pain and it was starting to alter my expressions on my face."
10
She now keeps her dead skin 'in the freezer, next to the peas'
Credit: Instagram
10
Sophie has always wanted to turn what happened to her into a positive
Credit: Instagram
Sophie always wanted to turn what had happened to her into a positive, raising awareness of injuries even in her early 20s.
She said: 'I've got a younger sister who's 16 years old, that was the age when I was comparing myself a lot.
'And I just want her to know that, your big sister can still do it and represent girls, I want her to feel proud of me.
'She looks up to a lot of my friends, looks up to me and I want to be that good example for her.
'It's important to mould the next generation, not the current generation. I want to put them in a good mindset.'
Despite Sophie's sunny disposition, she was clearly hugely affected by what had happened to her, which may be why it's taken her six years to say yes to Love Island (I'd be stunned if they hadn't approached her for previous years).
She told me in 2019: "I try not to think negatively, but I am in pain and you do think 'when is this going to be over?' I'm constantly suffering.
"Even now I can't go outside when it's sunny without having to cover up my whole face, because it's fresh skin and I'll get burnt really fast.
'I wear a black mask to protect it. It's healed underneath but just to be safe.
"I don't want to risk getting burnt, it's not worth it. I'm still healing.
"But I am in the best hands and it's important to talk about the good and the bad, because that means I can help others in this situation.
"I'm a normal person, I have feelings, I'm not just living this amazing life. I do have my down days, and it's OK to feel like that."
As Sophie jets off to sunny Mallorca to enter the villa on Monday, where temperatures are reaching 32C, the lack of black mask will be a stark reminder of how far she has come.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Desperate Bonnie Blue is broken & destroying industry… only she can save herself, says ‘world's richest' OnlyFans star
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BONNIE Blue is a broken woman who is single handedly destroying the porn industry, OnlyFans mega star Sophie Rain has told The Sun. Influencer Sophie, 20 - who claims to rake in £3.2million a month on OnlyFans - has blasted her rival for "harming the image of the platform" through her controversial sex stunts. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Bonnie Blue has been described as a broken woman who is destroying the porn industry by a fellow OnlyFans mega star Credit: Instagram/@bonnie_blue_xox 9 Influencer Sophie, 20 - who claims to rake in £3.2million a month on OnlyFans - has blasted the controversial star Credit: Jam Press/SophieRain 9 Bonnie has already been banned from OnlyFans due to her outrageous sex stunts Credit: Instagram/@bonnie_blue_xox 9 It comes after The Sun revealed that Bonnie has been banned from OnlyFans and is set to lose her massive "£600,000 a month" pay. The content creator - who shot to fame by allegedly bedding 1,057 men in 24 hours - had her page pulled due to breach of terms after her "extreme challenges" were said to have "crossed a line". Bonnie - whose real name is Tia Billinger - has faced heavy criticism over her content which often targets who she calls "barely legal teens". One of those who is far from Bonnie's biggest fan is the self-proclaimed world's richest adult content creator Sophie. The pair became embroiled in a public feud on social media with US-based Sophie firing several barbs across the Atlantic. An X post saw her say: "I hope one day she [Bonnie] realises the trauma she's causing herself and so many women." A second remark from Sophie saw her fire a direct shot at Bonnie as she shared a screenshot which appears to her raking in over $76 million (£56 million) through OnlyFans subscriptions. It was shared alongside the caption: "76M without banging 1000 men in a day." Sophie has now opened up on the personal argument and told The Sun exactly why the 25-year-old from Derbyshire needs to be stopped. She said: "What people need to understand is sex workers and OnlyFans models come in many different fonts. Bonnie Blue CANCELS disgusting 'petting zoo' event after extreme backlash, but reveals 10 THOUSAND men applied "The issue is, the public sees us all the same. "They group us all into one single category, and when someone as big as her is promoting these gross acts, it leads many to believe someone like me is doing similar content to what she does." A passionate Sophie continued: "I am all for someone expressing themselves on OnlyFans how they want, but it gets to a point where it's harming the image of the platform as a whole and the girls who are within it." In a statement to The Blast, Sophie also hit out at Bonnie for the way her stunts harm women in the industry. She told them: "It's no longer women empowerment. It's shock value, and she's making a joke out of all of us." Bonnie has claimed to earn £600,000 a month on OnlyFans in the past - meaning across a year she could make over £7.2million per year. She has hit headlines with a number of sick stunts across the past few years. One saw her ask college boys to sign up to an event to see who could give her the best orgasm - with a pledge to pay for the tuition of the "winner". 9 Bonnie has always maintained what she is doing isn't harming anyone as long as it is consensual Credit: Lorna Roach 9 Sophie is among the world's richest OnlyFans stars Credit: Jam Press/@sophieraiin 9 Sophie, who doesn't post x-rated content online, even threw a dig at Bonnie after their public feud erupted Credit: X/sophieraiin Bonnie was also slammed for "promoting rape culture" and labelled "vile" for announcing what she called "Bonnie Blue's petting zoo". This stunt was seen as the final straw for OnlyFans as they axed Bonnie from using the platform shortly after it was revealed before the event ever took place. Despite taking aim at Bonnie's sick antics, Sophie was quick to say she doesn't want to be the reason why she was banned. She insisted she actually wants to "give her a hug" and believes the controversial creator deserves to have a "chance to redeem her herself". Sophie added: "She seems like a broken person. "I think deep down she realises that this path she's going down is wrong, and I hope she saves herself. "I want to give her a hug. I think she's being misguided to do things she simply is only doing for money." Bonnie has also been shunned by others in the adult entertainment industry. 90s porn star Jasmin St. Claire, who broke the original world sex record almost three decades ago, branded Bonnie's act as "fake". And fellow blonde bombshell Lilly Phillips has also blasted her in the past. The pair used to be friends but the bond was quickly shattered after Bonnie suggested Lily had ''stolen'' her idea to beat the world record and bonk 1,000 in one day. Who is Bonnie Blue? BORN in May 1999, Bonnie grew up in a small Derbyshire village, and attended the Friesland School in the village of Sandiacre. She has two half-siblings - a sister and a brother - who have always remained out of the public eye. She never knew her biological father, and considers stepfather Nicholas Elliott her dad. Bonnie also became something of a dance star in her local area, and competed in the British Street Dance Championships alongside her sister back in 2015. She once even had a part-time job at Poundstretcher as a teenager. After finishing school, she began working in recruitment. In October 2022, Bonnie married Oliver Davidson, who she had started dating when she was just 15. Once they were married, they moved to Australia, where Bonnie continued working in recruitment. However, it was in Australia that she decided to pursue a different line of work, and tried her luck as a 'cam girl' - crediting Oliver for giving her the confidence to enter the adult entertainment world. She quickly made a name for herself in the industry, and was soon making £5,000 a week. But while her work life was going from strength to strength, her relationship was crumbling, and she and Oliver split after almost a decade together. She moved over to OnlyFans following her cam girl success, and once again found fame on there. She quickly became a favourite on the site, especially thanks to her "niche" of sleeping with young male students - such as when she bedded 158 students during Nottingham Trent University's freshers week in September 2024. Bonnie is now estimated to be worth millions, and makes around £600,000 a month on OnlyFans. Her family are also supportive of her work, with mum Sarah Billinger even claiming she's her daughter's PA, and helps clean up after Bonnie's events - as well as handing out condoms to young clients. In January 2025, Bonnie claimed to have broken the world record for the most amount of sex in 12 hours, after apparently sleeping with 1,057 men from 1pm to 1am at a secret London event. 9 Bonnie made headlines when she appeared on This Morning and revealed student targeted stunts Credit: ITV
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Double A side re-release for Wrexham band of the 80s and 90s
Terminal was one of the hardest working bands around and stories of their concerts became the stuff of local legend. Making up the band were members from Wrexham and Denbigh, consisting of brothers Phil (singer) and Adi Heym (bass), Nigel Peters (lead guitar) and Dave Humphreys (drums). Songs were written by Phil and Nigel. Read more: Next Big Thing: Wrexham singer Jessica creates rock with an operatic twist In their heyday they released a few singles, and were also championed by the late, great radio DJ John Peel, for whom they also recorded a session Nigel's brother Alan, has continued to promote the band since its demise by putting content on YouTube. It was off the back of this, that he received a bit of a surprise from across the Channel, via Nantes-based Fish & Cheap Records. He said: "I was contacted by a small company in France who said they loved Terminal and wanted to re-release their music to reach a wider public. "They had managed to get hold of their second single and I sent them their first single, which we agreed that they would make a double A side, which they have done and is now available to buy from them." Read more: 'These songs are about people and places we love' - Royston Club to release new album Adi said: "It's great that 30 years later someone is appreciative of what we did. It's fantastic, I could do with a Paris gig! "We never compromised with our music, always did our own songs. "I remember we were the first band to play the Hippodrome in Wrexham since the 1910s, and the queue outside was around the block." Dave said: "I'm humbled by it all to be honest. We were a bunch of mates (most of the time) that loved making music and performing. Good Times indeed." Read more: Next Big Thing: self taught musicians of metalcore band Gloom49 Nigel recalled one anecdote, adding: "Julian Lennon lived with his mother Cynthia in Ruthin. She ran a restaurant. "Julian booked Terminal to play at his 21st birthday in the Plough St Asaph. After the gig Cynthia had to write the band a cheque because Julian's inheritance had not yet come through. "This new interest si great, it gets the music out to a whole new audience." • Fish & Cheap Records specialise in limited edition punk, power pop, garage, budget rock and glam rock vinyl. Double A side Am I Doing It Right/Hold On is currently available on a limited release at:
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island's most shocking sex confessions from romp with 50-year-old to orgy and TWENTY threesomes
One Islander took the term 'friends with benefits' to the next level no holding back Love Island's most shocking sex confessions from romp with 50-year-old to orgy and TWENTY threesomes Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S been 10 years of Love Island but the sexy singletons still manage to leave viewers stunned with their racy confessions. The latest series of Love Island only kicked off last week but already the Islanders have revealed orgies and threesomes during the show's classic games of truth or dare. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up And many Islanders before them didn't hold back when it came to sharing their sexiest secrets on national TV. Football orgy 7 Harry told of an orgy with a women's football team Credit: Shutterstock New Islander Harry Cooksley gave fans the ick when he confessed to having an orgy with a women's football team. During a game of Got The Reciepts, the sem-pro footballer explained: "The women's team wanted to carry on partying, why don't we carry it on back at my house... four guys, 11 girls and it went long into the night." Five in one night 7 Remell made an impression on his first night Credit: Eroteme When bombshell Remell Mullins arrived he wasted no time in making an impression on the Islanders. Asked to reveal something about himself, he casually said: 'The most people I've slept with in a night is five.' 20 threesomes 7 Dejon stunned with his shock confession Credit: Eroteme And Dejon Noel Williams was revealed to have had 20 threesomes in his life during another racy game. He then clarified: "I had two cool girls and we done it over and over again." Teenage confession 7 Shea revealed an encounter with the mother of a girl he was dating Credit: Instagram Shea Mannings left everyone shocked when he revealed an encounter with the mother of a girl he was dating when he was 19. Opening up about sex with the woman - who was 50 at the time - he said: "I was speaking to the daughter first. "The mum came over, I felt rubbing on my leg. We went to the bedroom and it happened." Love Island shock as bombshell offers two islanders a THREESOME - leaving them horrified Friends with benefits 7 Davide proved he takes friendship very seriously Credit: Instagram Davide Sanclimenti, who won the 2022 series with ex-girlfriend Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu, left his co-stars and fans stunned when confessed to sleeping with his mate's girlfriend - while he watched. He said: "My mate ask me to do, because he gets horny. "He didn't watch... once he watched. If he asks me to do and it makes him happy, then why shouldn't I do it to make you happy." Sex scene 7 Lana had fans asking 'have you no shame?' Credit: Instagram The winter 2023 series saw Lana Jenkins exposed for once having sex in the toilets of a cinema. While playing Dirty Laundry, Haris Namani was tasked with guessing who made the confession and initially picked Anna-May Robey. When Lana was revealed as the culprit, fans at home blasted: "Have you no shame?!" Foot fetish 7 Ekin-Su revealed she's got a thing for feet Credit: ITV Davide's ex and fellow 2022 winner Ekin-Su made her own steamy confession when she revealed she's got a thing for feet. As Davide asked if anyone had a foot fetish, Ekin-Su replied: "I like it when a guy sucks my toe, f**king turns me on!"
