TV

Love Island star devastated to be axed from Xmas lights switch on as she’s “not a good role model”

Parents petitioned for her to be dropped

| Updated:

Love Island star Kady McDermott has spoken out about how upset she is to be axed from the Christmas lights switch on near her home town.

The 22-year-old had been asked to appear at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire but was later told her services wouldn’t be needed after all due to a public backlash.

Local parents sent a petition to the organisers saying they did not want the Love Island star at the event because she wasn’t a good role model for their children.

They said they wouldn’t attend if she was there as she “didn’t set a good example to our kids”.

On today’s Good Morning Britain, Kady said how upset she was over being dropped as she wanted to appear to promote the two charities she now works for.

She added that she’s found the mums who accused her of being a bad model to be quite hypocritical.

She said: “When I was asked I was shocked but honoured. I thought it would be a cool thing to do. When I was dropped, it wasn’t just the petition that upset me. It was all the comments that came with it.

“The mums who said I am not a good role model have been trolling me on Twitter, how is that being a good role model to their children? The words they have called me are so bad I can’t say them on breakfast television. They have been told I’m so bad I can’t stand next to Father Christmas.

“I have been in tears about it on Snapchat.”

Kady said she thought she does set a good example to young people because of all the work she has done for charity since leaving Love Island.

Read more: Love Island stars confirm wedding plans

But arguing in favour of the organiser’s decision, Anna May Mangan said they were right to axe her.

She agreed Kady was not a good role model as she was only famous for “having sex on live telly.”

She said: “The people she is popular with will not be at the light switch on. This is an event where little children will be standing around in their hats and mittens. When they ask their parents ‘who is that?’ what are they supposed to say?”

She added that she thought another local celebrity like a soap star would be more appropriate, or someone who isn’t a celebrity at all but a hero in their community.

Kady refuted that she was only famous for having sex on TV but Piers Morgan told her: “That is all you are known for.”

She justified her actions on the TV show saying she was “with someone I had loved for six weeks.”

Despite disapproving of this, Piers said he didn’t think it was right for the council to drop her when she’d already agreed to do it.

Meanwhile, on Twitter some viewers said the council had made the right decision to let Kady go, agreeing that she wasn’t the right choice for the family event.

Others spoke out in favour of Kady and felt she handled herself well as Anna criticised her.

Read more: Piers Morgan reveals the REAL reason he won’t go on I’m A Celebrity

During the debate Piers Morgan revealed he had also been given the honour of turning on Christmas lights this year after being invited to star at a festive event in Stockbridge.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor