Arriving at the Love Island villa, Phoebe Thompson was full of hope she would find someone special to walk away with, and within days it seemed her wish was coming true
when she coupled up with Cassie Lansdell, making history as the reality TV show’s first same-sex couple.
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But it was over before it began, amid claims Cassie was using Phoebe to further her time on the show – something Phoebe, 28, tells WHO she’s “trying not to think about”.
“It was sad because I feel like we both made a big statement and we couldn’t really explore it,” says Phoebe, who had never spoken to her family about her open sexuality.
“I was really, really, really nervous about that,” she explains. “I was nervous about embarrassing my family. But [since being eliminated] I have spoken to my mum and my sister, and they have both been really supportive, which is great.”
Despite leaving things on a friendly note with Cassie, 26, who’s moved on with Sydney-based twin Luke Packham, Phoebe says there’s no chance of her ever returning to the series.
“I would not go back in there,” she says, explaining that the show has a long way to go when it comes to diversity.
“I think if I was 21, I would’ve got a lot more out of the show. Age does play a big role in that environment,” she tells WHO. “The time that I spent there, I just honestly felt like I was kind of … I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. I’m 28 and I don’t want to date a 23-year-old boy. They were all quite similar, like, they all shaved their legs. The only one that really was [different was] Maurice. I definitely think they could’ve had more diverse men in there. I definitely wouldn’t want to be going back.”
It’s not just the diversifying of age that needs attention, it’s also sexuality, race and the body shapes of the Islanders, Phoebe believes.
“Obviously they tried to be more diverse in comparison to the first Love Island Australia, with me being mixed race and Cynthia being African, but I still think there’s a long way to go with diversity,” she says.
“In Australia … people aren’t just straight. And Australia also isn’t just white. I consider myself an ‘all-Aussie girl’ – I don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes, but I still think I’m a great representation of what an Australian woman is.”
The Sydney-based credit analyst adds that next season could probably benefit from less abs, too.
“The majority of the girls on the show were a size eight, but curvy girls are beautiful, and not everyone is into girls who are skinny,” she remarks. “I know plenty of guys who love curvy girls. They love big bums, they like thighs. And they do need to mix it up there, 100 per cent.
“I would love to see a bigger size woman or even a bigger size man on a show like Love Island,” she adds.
As for Cassie’s future with Luke, Phoebe remains unconvinced.
“She was saying she just wanted, like, a rugged [guy and someone] who wasn’t too fussy about what he wore, or the gym, or
any of that. She’s not into guys who wear tight jeans – she just wants someone a little bit grungy,” she reveals. “But I guess that’s all based on appearance.”
One thing is for certain, though – Phoebe is taking a break from dating for a while.
“I don’t know if I will jump into the dating pool,” she says.
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