Love Island's Zara McDermott responds to cruel trolls after they call her a 'fat whale'... as she admits she used to survive on one bag of carrots a day
Zara McDermott has responded to mean trolls after they cruelly called her a 'fat whale' while using two photos to compare her figure during and after Love Island.
In a candid open letter, the former civil servant, 22, admitted that she used to survive on just one bag of carrots a day when she was a size six.
Zara revealed that she's now curvier at a size eight to ten, but she likes having her boobs and a bum.
![Hitting back: Zara McDermott has responded to mean trolls after they cruelly called her a 'fat whale' while using two photos to compare her figure during and after Love Island](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7698744-6519599-image-a-86_1545390946111.jpg)
Hitting back: Zara McDermott has responded to mean trolls after they cruelly called her a 'fat whale' while using two photos to compare her figure during and after Love Island
Talking to The Sun about the cruel comments over her bikini photos, she said: 'To the trolls who posted so many nasty comments about my weight, I want you to know that before being signed to Love Island, I was almost starving myself and eating just a bag of carrots a day.'
Responding to the 'before' picture of her used in the cruel tweet, Zara revealed that she was so 'unhappy' and had been 'skipping meals for months' after suffering emotional abuse from an ex-boyfriend.
She continued: 'I remember one day, my friends had noticed how my weight had dropped and that I had skipped meals. They took me to Tesco and begged me to pick something to eat.'
Yet Zara picked just a bag of carrots, as she admitted her anxiety caused her to 'barely eat a thing' some days.
![Shocking: In a candid open letter, the former civil servant, 22, admitted that she used to survive on just one bag of carrots a day when she was a size six (pictured in 2017)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7698790-6519599-image-a-104_1545391171484.jpg)
Shocking: In a candid open letter, the former civil servant, 22, admitted that she used to survive on just one bag of carrots a day when she was a size six (pictured in 2017)
![Beautiful at any size: Zara revealed that she's now curvier at a size eight to ten, but she likes having her boobs and a bum (pictured in 2017)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7698800-6519599-image-a-102_1545391157253.jpg)
![Beautiful at any size: Zara revealed that she's now curvier at a size eight to ten, but she likes having her boobs and a bum (pictured this week)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7698806-6519599-image-a-103_1545391164616.jpg)
Beautiful at any size: Zara revealed that she's now curvier at a size eight to ten, but she likes having her boobs and a bum (pictured in 2017, left, and this week, right)
However, the reality star revealed that despite being now in love and happy with her Love Island co-star Adam Collard, she has never received so much hate over her body.
And instead of spending time in the gym, a busy Zara added that she would rather spend her spare time relaxing and enjoying lots of yummy food.
She finished her open letter lamenting that it is 'not OK' for trolls to body-shame people, she added: 'I don’t want to sit back and let people abuse me online. For me to call someone out and say they are body-shaming – I hope it makes that person look like an absolute tool.'
As well as using her platform to speak out against fat-shaming and trolls, Zara has also been educating her followers about politics - something she is passionate about.
![Cruel: The reality star revealed that despite being now in love and happy with her Love Island co-star Adam Collard, she has never received so much hate over her body](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7697794-6519599-image-a-98_1545391097621.jpg)
Cruel: The reality star revealed that despite being now in love and happy with her Love Island co-star Adam Collard, she has never received so much hate over her body
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/15/7705090-6519599-image-a-44_1545405060240.jpg)
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/15/7705082-6519599-image-m-43_1545405057272.jpg)
Out and about: Following the chat, she was pictured out and about
On Thursday, the former Government Adviser, who used to work in the Department of Education, appeared on Politics Live to discuss whether reality stars are better role models than politicians.
Debating the topic, she said: 'For me yes and no, I think their intentions are all, I hope, good and trying to do the best thing for their version of society, which differs for each political party.
'However, obviously etiquette in parliament and their behaviour, there needs to be a huge reform on that kind of political landscape in order to set a good example for young people.'
The reality star's responses were met with praise from the panel and in particular fellow panellist Ayesha Hazarika, who said she wanted the 22-year-old to get into politics, she joked: 'We could have our new future!'
![Candid: Instead of spending time in the gym, a busy Zara added that she would rather spend her spare time relaxing and enjoying lots of yummy food (pictured recently)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/11/7698798-6519599-image-a-101_1545391144974.jpg)
Candid: Instead of spending time in the gym, a busy Zara added that she would rather spend her spare time relaxing and enjoying lots of yummy food (pictured recently)
![Role model: As well as using her platform to speak out against fat-shaming and trolls, Zara has also been educating her followers about politics appearing on Thursday's Politics Live](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/20/13/7662370-6515925-image-a-102_1545312750830.jpg)
Role model: As well as using her platform to speak out against fat-shaming and trolls, Zara has also been educating her followers about politics appearing on Thursday's Politics Live
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