LOVE ISLAND'S SAMANTHA KENNY HITS BACK AT TROLLS WHO BRANDED HER 'FAME HUNGRY' AND A 'TOWIE SUPER FAN' AND SAYS JOEY ESSEX DUMPING FORMER FLAME GRACE JACKSON WAS A 'TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE'
Love Island star Samantha Kenny has hit back at trolls who branded her 'fame hungry' and a ' TOWIE super fan' after she romanced Joey Essex in the villa.
The Liverpudlian, 26, told MailOnline she watched the ITVBe reality series when she was a teenager but only for Gemma Collins and if she had met Joey outside of Love Island, she 'wouldn't have bat an eyelid.'
Samantha was coupled up with Joey, 33, for two weeks before his former flame Grace Jackson entered the show as a bombshell, and she was forced to watch the exes rekindle their romance.
But after Samantha was dumped from the island, Joey's attention quickly turned to new arrival Jessy Potts and Grace was sidelined.
In an exclusive interview, Samantha said: 'Now she knows how I felt. But at least Jessy went on the terrace to kiss Joey but she did it on the daybeds right in front of me, she's had a taste of her own medicine now.'
Samantha explained: 'I went on Love Island expecting to meet Kev the carpenter but lo and behold Joey Essex walked in. I haven't watched TOWIE for years but when I was a teenager, I used to watch it for Gemma Collins… I wasn't ever bothered about Joey, it was more the GC and Bobby Norris, they're iconic.
'I do know a couple of TOWIE people anyway so I wasn't like 'oh my God, there's Joey Essex', it was oh my God, there's Joey because he was on the show.
'If I had seen him on a night out I wouldn't have batted an eyelid but it's because he was on Love Island, which was so unexpected.'
Trolls claimed Samantha was only interested in Joey for his celebrity status and ridiculed her online after she confessed to being a TOWIE fan.
She added: 'People said I was fame hungry and a Joey Essex fan girl… no I'm not, I'm a Gemma Collins fan, growing up.'
When Joey reignited his romance with Grace, with whom he dated last year after the pair met on holiday, Samantha was left in tears.
She witnessed the couple passionately kiss in front of her, which caused further distress and upset.
Samantha said: 'I felt horrible… what I wanted in two weeks he gave her in four hours. It wasn't nice, especially as I was still there. I felt like saying, don't forget about me, I am still here. At the end of the day I'm just a girl whether we were on the outside or on Love Island, it wasn't the best situation.'
Joey tried to make amends with Samantha after she was dumped from the villa but she rejected his attempts.
Weeks later, Samantha doesn't regret not giving Joey the chance to clear the air, admitting she wanted him to suffer the same way she was.
She said: 'No, I don't regret it at all. I wanted Joey to feel bad. By the time he gets out the villa I definitely think I'll be laughing it off, I'm a big girl, I'll get over it.
'But in the heat of that moment, I wanted him to feel bad. I hope it goes well for him… I would never wish any harm on anyone; at the end of the day I hope he finds love. I was true to myself and aside from Joey there wasn't anyone else in the villa for me.'
Joey was the first celebrity to enter the Love Island villa as a contestant in the show's history, but Samantha believes producers shouldn't make it a regular occurrence.
She says Joey acted differently to the other Islanders due to his TV experience and believes bosses should 'give someone normal a chance.'
Samantha said: 'I'm not going to lie… I think Love Island should be kept the way it was.
'I know they have brought back other Islanders before but I feel like even with some of the boys, you could tell Joey was different. I know it may not have come across that way but he's done TV for 13 odd years, you can see there was a difference…'
Despite her short stint in the villa, Samantha has signed an ambassador deal with online brand Glamify Fashion and is releasing her first collection with the retailer on Friday.
She says given Glamify Fashion is a Liverpool based company, the collaboration is a match made in heaven.
Samantha said: 'They got in touch with my management while I was in the Love Island villa and obviously, it's a Scouse brand and I've got to represent the Scouse girlies. I'm very excited for the launch.
'It's absolutely amazing and I feel like coming out to a brand deal after only doing two weeks in the villa, I couldn't be happier.
Modelling her new range of summer clothing, Samantha says her favourite pieces are a long, sheer leopard print dress and a colourful co-ord, perfect for holidays.
She added: 'I really love the leopard print dress because I think it can be dressed up or down, on holiday, at beach clubs but you can also wear it on nights out.'
- Samantha's collection will be available to purchase on the Glamify Fashion's website from Friday at 7pm