"You’re not getting me back into a bra!” Shaughna Phillips shouts down the phone at us, just minutes into our chat.
The nation fell in love with her no bullsh-t personality during the winter 2020 series of Love Island. Since then, she’s been a beacon of light for body positivity, sharing the ups and downs of her recent lipoedema journey, and launching her own inclusive fitness platform, Be You With Shaughna.
So, it was only right that we spoke to her for our Hot Girl Summer campaign to find out how she’ll be wearing those goddamn shorts...
You look at your happiest right now – is that down to the relationship with your body?
I’m just not consumed by my body image any more. I’m aware I’ve put on weight since Love Island and during lockdown, but who cares? If I was to lose weight, it doesn’t make me a better person or any more pretty. I’m absolutely fine how I am.
As women, we’re always hard on ourselves about our bodies, but do you find summer particularly difficult?
I always end up at the “F--k, it’s too hot to wear underwear” stage, but there is an internal battle to get there. Sometimes I’ll check the weather and it’s too hot to wear a long sleeve top, but do you know what? Life is too short. We really need to appreciate the bodies we’ve got.
On a recent holiday to Jamaica, you said you felt your most confident. What changed?
I wasn’t looking at people and wondering what they thought about me. Everything else in my life was at a much better point than it had been previously, and I realised what I look like really has no bearing on my happiness. I had so much more fun at the all-inclusive buffet! I did a lot of damage...
We have ingrained ideas about prepping to be “bikini ready” – how did you overcome them?
I was working out three or four times a week, not going hard but just moving my body. I never looked like a gladiator, but I went on holiday feeling strong and it made a huge difference. Working out shouldn’t have an end goal – it should be to make you feel better. I only got back to the gym a week ago, but I’ve been moving house and I’ve never been so worked out in my entire existence and I was still moving my body regardless.
You just did your first lingerie shoot, too...
I had two days’ notice and I thought to myself, “What on earth have you got yourself into?” Luckily [Love Island co-star] Demi Jones was there, too, but I was looking at her thinking, “You look banging.” But, she had the same hang-ups as me. In the end, I had a great time once I stopped worrying.
And now you have your own app Be You With Shaughna. How did that happen?
Not everyone is confident and smiling in the gym – that’s certainly not my reality. I wanted something that anyone with a schedule or responsibilities could do that they could fit into their daily life – exercise has to be something that you enjoy. With the app, you get workouts, recipes and a mental health journal – there’s a myth-buster section, too. There’s no before and after picture function – it’s about feeling confident and what you’re gaining, not what you’re losing.
What’s your favourite way to work out?
I love a good weights session, because you just feel fitter and stronger. I love boxing, too. But, what I detest with my whole entire soul is dance. I move like an IKEA wardrobe. And I’m OK with that.
How have you changed up your nutrition?
This isn’t a plug, because I’m a paying customer, but I love Hello Fresh food boxes. They give you balanced portions of all the food, so you’re getting everything that you need. Also, I like to try the recipes they give you, because they give me things I’d never pick up in a supermarket, so it gets me out of my comfort zone.
You’ve been really open about your lipoedema diagnosis [Shaughna has a condition that leads to a build-up of fat in her legs]...
I’ve struggled with my legs since the age of 11, and I couldn’t not talk about it when there are so many other women in the same position. Having surgery wasn’t the be all and end all for me, but I still sometimes think my legs look no different, and then I see pictures and realise they do. The whole time I was on Love Island, I was getting messages from people who said they thought I had lipoedema and my mum, bless her, was blocking them, because she thought people were trolling me. I kept it so hidden, my mum didn’t even know it was an issue for me. When I Googled what it was, I cannot explain the relief, because my whole life, I thought I’d caused it or that I wasn’t working out enough.
You had your lip fillers dissolved and put back in – why was that?
It had created a fatty pad on my moustache so to get rid of that, I had to have them dissolved. I’ve since had it done again. Not because of anyone else, I had it done for me – it makes me feel confident. Women need to do it because they want to, not for anyone else.
You’ve been open about having surgery on your boobs, too...
I had a breast uplift in 2017, because I lost 4st and they went to nothing. When I did have big boobs, they got big very quickly and weren’t pretty. When I was 18, I went for a consultation to get implants and decided against it, thankfully. The uplift was the best thing I ever did, I went from an EE cup to a B. If you’re considering surgery, do your research and stick to the UK. If it’s cheap, it’s for a reason and not a good one.
What advice would you give for anyone struggling with their own body confidence?
Life is as good as you make it– it’s so cliché, but it’s also true and sometimes you need to hear it. We could go through the whole summer not leaving our houses or wearing a tracksuit and sweating to death. Or, we could just wear the clothes we like and just feel comfortable in the weather and enjoy it.
What’s next for you?
I would love to be on Loose Women – I just feel like I have so much to say. I don’t know how it’s happened, but I’ve been mingling with MPs. I’ve been invited to Keir Starmer’s private summer party – I don’t know why, but I’m going to wing it until they kick me out.
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine - OUT NOW.