“I had kind of lost myself and for a while”: Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu opens up about quitting Instagram after Celebrity Big Brother exit

After a three-week absence from Instagram, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, the winner of Love Island 2022 and a reality TV star, finally spoke out on social media on April 1. Her silence was broken after her eviction from the current season of Celebrity Big Brother and her appearance on the companion show Celebrity Big Brother Late & Live on March 15.

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu shared on Instagram that she took a break to “reflect, recharge, and rejuvenate,”adding:

“Haven’t felt myself for a long time, and I’ve realised i had kind of lost myself and for a while didn’t know who I was beyond being defined by ex relationships or TV shows, and that needs to change!”

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu Reflects on Her Experience in Celebrity Big Brother

In her recent Instagram post, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu shared various photos of herself while discussing her decision to take a break following her controversial appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. The photos were accompanied by the following captions:

“Just a little message to say hi. Thank you once more for all your kindness. Took some time off to reflect, recharge and restore which i’m still very much doing but I’ll need to be back online for work purposes especially.”

The British-Turkish television star stated in the Instagram caption that she was eagerly anticipating the “growth and complete healing”that her break had provided her. She described Celebrity Big Brother as the “ultimate lightbulb moment”that helped her understand what needed to be done. She ended her post by saying:

“Embracing the fresh start to a new month and new era…. Wishing everyone an April full of possibilities. I am so grateful for each one of you.”

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu shared on Instagram stories on March 23 that she would not be attending the Celebrity Big Brother finale on March 22 with her former fellow contestants. She expressed her desire to not be judged as “selfish”for prioritizing her own well-being and setting boundaries.

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu Receives Backlash After Celebrity Big Brother Eviction

On March 15, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu became the fourth contestant to be publicly voted out of the house at the 2024 edition of Celebrity Big Brother, amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the show.

Her departure from Celebrity Big Brother Late & Live on ITV2 was promptly followed by an exit interview that received a great deal of criticism.

During her stay in the house, Cülcüloğlu had conflicts with several of her housemates, including Fern Britton, Marisha Wallace, and Zeze Millz. As a result of her disagreement with Wallace, the latter voted for Cülcüloğlu to face eviction.

After being evicted, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu joined Late & Live hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best, along with guest panelist Layton Williams, for her interview following her eviction.

Despite starting off smoothly, the interview took a negative turn when Cülcüloğlu accused the show’s production team of manipulating her words and behavior through their editing process. She expressed disappointment that certain moments were excluded from the final cut and felt that her true self was not accurately portrayed on the show.

Despite criticism, host AJ Odudu stood by the show and stated that all content presented on the show had been approved by Cülcüloğlu. In response, Layton Williams refuted her defense and stated:

“You’re not going to blame it on the edit. One thing you’re not going to do is blame it on the edit. We see what we see and it’s a shame.”

The interview, widely criticized as “excruciatingly awkward”by social media users, resulted in an increase in complaints for the show and ITV. A total of 139 individuals filed complaints to the government-owned telecommunications regulator Ofcom regarding “the treatment of Ekin-Su by the presenters and guest panel”after the episode aired.

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, aged 29, emerged as the winner of the eighth season of ITV’s popular reality dating show Love Island in August 2022. Following her victory, she went on to make appearances on Dancing on Ice (2023), The Wheel (2023), and The Traitors US (2024).

Love Island 2022 winners Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti at the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere (Image via Getty Images)

On March 4, 2024, she made her entrance into the Celebrity Big Brother house, only a few weeks after her and her Love Island boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti’s split was announced on their Instagram stories on January 30.