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Love Island UK season 12 premiered on ITV on June 9. The episode featured a one-on-one conversation between Sophie Lee and Harry Cooksley as they attempted to get to know each other.
During their conversation, when Harry asked Sophie if she had been in relationships before, she shared that she had only been in one serious relationship. She then shared that when she was 22, she was involved in a fire accident, and it completely changed her life from that point on.
"I've only ever had one boyfriend, and then when I was 22, I was in a fire accident. It made me the woman that I am. And it made me learn so much about life and interactions with people, and how to be better," she said.
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The Love Island UK contestant added that she believes that to date people, an individual also needs to be in a good place within themselves. This is why she feels she wasn't ready to date in her early 20s, as she didn't feel good about herself.
However, over the years of "self-work," she was able to build back her confidence. Additionally, it propelled her into becoming a motivational speaker and an author.
What happened to Love Island UK star Sophie Lee in the fire accident?
Love Island UK season 12 contestant Sophie Lee's fire accident occurred in 2018, when she was 22 years old, while she was scheduled to perform a fire-breathing routine at an event in Chicago.
During the act, an air-conditioning unit nearby blew air in her direction, causing the flames to flare back and engulf her lower face and upper chest.
A year later, Sophie opened up about the incident in a Jan 2019 interview with Fabulous Digital and shared the things she had to go through because of it.
"The air-con was too strong so when I blew the fire out it blew back to me. It set me on fire. I just remember being in so much pain, I blacked out for a little bit. It's crazy. It happened in front of everyone and I had to get on with it as professionally and quickly as I could. As soon as I got into the ambulance, I was in bits," she shared about the day of the incident.
The Love Island UK contestant had severe burns all over her face, and she spent the next month or so under the intensive care of doctors in the U.S. She said that it was "a scary time" for her, and she wasn't even able to breathe, eat, or even see all on her own.
She was pretty out of it, but on day two, when she looked in the mirror, she cried over the condition she was in.
After around two months, Sophie's skin began to heal, and she was eventually allowed to return to the UK. However, upon her return, keloid scars began to grow on her face and chin.
The Love Island UK star acknowledged that these scars would be with her for the rest of her life. All she could do was get it flattened using steroid injections or a laser.
The fire incident had a profound impact on Sophie's life, and she confessed that it had changed her completely.
"I just have to accept myself for myself. 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," she concluded.
Love Island UK season 12 episodes premiere every day on ITV2 and ITVX.
