Billy Brown, who appeared on series eight of Love Island in 2022, says many of the people he was on the show with saw it as an easy route to becoming an influencer.
“I know a lot of people who came out, quit their job and thought that’s it now, but it’s not.
“You can earn a lot of money from that show but if you don’t do well, it’s not the case,” says the 25-year-old, who entered the main villa after impressing fellow contestant Tasha Ghouri in second villa Casa Amor.
Billy, who owns businesses in construction and property development, says that days after leaving the show, he was “getting up at half four in the morning [for work] and then going to a movie premiere at night”.
“I didn’t let it get to my head, I think I was one of the only people who could say ‘look, it’s not all glitz and glam’,” he adds.
Billy has maintained a social media presence in the years since, featuring content on his construction work alongside more lifestyle and sports-focused material.
He says he still earns some money from influencing but thinks that’s due to his personality, rather than his follower count, a relatively modest 115,000. In contrast, Molly-Mae has over eight million.
“People [who go on the show] need to focus on what they like, instead of just being known for being on Love Island.
“You have to have something about you, just being good looking is not going to get you much,” he adds.
