Former Love Island contestant Kady McDermott has hit out at mums in a tearful Snapchat post following a torrent of online abuse after she was axed from Welwyn Garden City’s Christmas lights switch-on.
Kady, who hails from Stevenage, had been booked to switch on the Christmas lights in Howardsgate on November 16 by Welwyn Garden City Improvement District (BID).
The announcement was made on Monday evening, sparking a flood of social media comments about her suitability for the role.
By Wednesday a petition had been started by ‘Parents WGC’ calling for WGC BID to “get a local hero to switch the Xmas lights instead of a girl off Love Island”.
To date, it has been signed by more than 1,100 people.
By yesterday lunchtime, WGC BID announced that Kady had been cancelled as the guest of honour for the switch-on.
But since then, Kady says she has been inundated by abusive social media comments and posted a tearful Snapchat response.
In her Snapchat post, she said: “I never do stuff like this, but I have literally had enough.
“I got asked to turn on the Christmas lights next week in Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire, where I’m from.
“When they contacted my manager asking me to do it, of course it was a paid job.
“It wasn’t just for the money, I was really flattered that Welwyn Garden City wanted me to turn on the lights.
“I thought because people call it a posh town to ask a reality star, because some people have a bad opinion of reality stars, I was a bit shocked.
“But I 100% wanted to do it.
“So today I found out that there’s been a petition made on Facebook from where I grew up from, from where I’m from.
“From mums, apparently it’s called mums of Welwyn Garden City saying to me not to turn the lights on which is fine.
“It’s fine - not everyone likes Love Island, you either love it or you hate it.
“It’s not the petition that’s upset me the most.
“The comments that come with it are absolutely disgusting.
“All day I was called a **** and a ****.
“These people don’t even watch Love Island.
“They don’t know I was with one bloke the whole time while I was on that show.”
Kady gave an example of one of the comments directed at her: “I shouldn’t be allowed on this planet.
“I shouldn’t be allowed to switch on the lights.”
She continued: “Honestly, the comments I read from people where I grew up - they don’t know me on a personal level.
“It’s absolutely disgusting.
“If you don’t want me to turn on the lights, absolutely fine, but I have been bullied and trolled.
“It’s absolutely disgusting.
“I think people forget that Love Island doesn’t define me.
“I’m a human. I’m someone’s daughter, granddaughter and sister.
“I get it, not everyone likes Love Island but I have been treated like I’m from Crimewatch.
“I’m from Love Island not Crimewatch.
“You would think Hitler was turning on the lights.
“And these mums....the comments have all come from mums saying my parents must be disgusted of me.
“The comments have been absolutely vile and I have come from Love Island and so what?
“I obviously love that show.
“It changed my life for the better and I met someone who I absolutely adored.
“So what I had sex on telly - get over it!”
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