Gabby Allen shot to fame on Love Island in 2017 and is now participating in the 2025 All Stars series on ITV
Gabby Allen had viewers’ pulses racing this week in the notorious ‘heart-rate’ dance challenge on ITV’s Love Island: All Stars. Yet, you may be surprised to hear that she hasn’t always been so confident, having battled with her self-esteem for many years.
In September, the reality star, 32, shared a few photographs snapped 18 months prior to her very first Love Island stint in 2017. While Gabby stressed there was ‘nothing wrong’ with how she looked there, she’s since thrown herself into a more positive fitness regime.
“The picture on the left was 18 months before I did Love Island and the second photo was taken last week so this is seven years ago,” she said in the post that’s now garnered more than 8,000 likes. “A complete body composition change. A complete mindset change… & to be honest, I feel like a completely different person.”
Gabby revealed that seven years ago, she was in a ‘very dark, sad place’, having lost her father just two weeks before her 21st birthday. She described the period following his death as ‘destroying’, a time already fraught with other family issues and low self-esteem.
During this period, she worked at a burger joint, indulging in two burgers and a full tub of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream daily. This part was ‘amazing but unacceptable’, she joked, before continuing: “I knew I could so more so I got a loan and did my PT course.
“That was the turning point in my life. That qualification. I still drink alcohol and eat takeaways, chocolate etc of course, I’m sure you see on my stories, I enjoy life as I should but that is because I feel confident in my knowledge now, about how to look after my body on the whole.”
According to the Mirror, she also wrote in the caption: “My passion is you. Helping women like you get to where they wanna be too.” Amidst this, countless fans flocked to the post, expressing their well-wishes for Gabby and her passion for fitness.
One person wrote: “This is actually so inspiring, I need some of your dedication so I stop beating myself up every time I miss a gym session then binge,” as someone else added: “Wow. I didn’t know this of you. Followed you for years. But wow. That’s inspirational.”
Meanwhile, another wrote: “I’d love to know a bit more and have something I’d stick to. I’m constantly up and down and a bit like you before never consistent with many excuses.”