Love Island Australia 2026 star Shawnee has addressed the controversial comments she made inside the villa after being grilled by Abbie Chatfield on her It’s A Lot podcast.
The reality star, who copped backlash for remarks about fellow Islanders Ava and Sammi during her time on the show, admitted watching the episodes back had been “confronting” and took responsibility for the way she handled the situation.
Shawnee breaks silence on controversial Love Island Australia comments
During the interview, Abbie asked Shawnee why her first reaction when feeling hurt was to make comments about other women, including Ava’s appearance and calling Sammi a “mutt”.
Rather than deflecting, Shawnee admitted the comments stemmed from her own insecurities.
“Insecurity, validation, 110% should not be said. Like, there’s no justification or exclusion for any of that,” she said.
“It was so horrible to hear that come out of my mouth. It was so horrible to watch that.”
She revealed she reached out to Ava as soon as she watched the episode air.
“As soon as I seen that clip, I messaged Ava straight away and apologised to her, of course, and wanted to explain this is nothing to do with you. There is nothing wrong with you, and I’m so sorry that my bullsh*t…
“It was my own insecurity, trying to pick myself back up, and it just turned out in the most horrible way against someone else.”
Abbie challenges Shawnee over the impact of her comments
Abbie pushed Shawnee further, suggesting the issue went beyond simply hurting Ava.
“I think it’s very easy for people to say, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. It’s hurtful to her’. But do you see how it’s a bigger issue and how it also harms you and other women?” she asked.
Shawnee agreed, saying the experience had forced her to confront parts of herself she wants to change.
“100%, absolutely. I totally agree with that,” she responded.
“I’m glad to see that reaction to reflect and work on that. I need to have that in my awareness.”
She also acknowledged that, while the villa environment intensified her emotions, it wasn’t an excuse for her behaviour.
“I’m not here to blame an environment or a circumstance because it’s me.”
Shawnee explains the moment that led to her comments
Shawnee also offered more context about the now-infamous comments about Ava’s body, explaining they came shortly after a challenge where she had received validation about her own appearance.
“There was a lot of talk about body, and there was a lot of comparison,” she explained.
“We were playing this dare challenge game, and one of the dares was kiss the Islander with the best arse, and I got that.”
She admitted she clung to that moment when she later felt insecure about Lachie’s connection with Ava.
“I’ve basically taken that little piece of pathetic validation I got in the game, and I’ve just thrown it and used that to validate myself,” she said.
“It is horrible because Ava didn’t deserve that, and nobody deserves to have their body spoken about like that.”
Shawnee says her frustration was directed at Lachie, not Sammi
Abbie also asked Shawnee about calling Sammi a “mutt” during her emotional exit from the villa.
Shawnee insisted the remark was actually aimed at Lachie rather than Sammi, explaining she was angry he stayed behind instead of walking her out.
“My frustration was at Lachie,” she said.
“I wanted him to walk me out. I wanted him to come up with me. It was 110% at him.”
She admitted, however, that regardless of who the comment was intended for, she wasn’t proud of how she handled herself.
“Does it make it okay and am I proud of the way I carried myself? Not necessarily.”
Shawnee reflects on her Love Island journey
Looking back on her time in the villa, Shawnee admitted she has plenty to reflect on after seeing herself on screen.
“There are a lot of triggers coming up here that I probably need to work on,” she said.
While she maintained her frustration with Lachie felt justified based on her experience in the villa, she acknowledged the way she expressed those emotions wasn’t.
“The way that was coming out with digs and name-calling and swearing was confronting to watch. It’s a really valuable reflection for me to have,” she said.
Love Island Australia will premiere on October 26 on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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