Love Island star Paige Thorne has revealed that she had no choice but to quit her job as a paramedic before joining the ITV series over fears of NHS backlash.
Paige is finally getting to grips with her new-found fame after making a splash in the villa this year alongside Adam Collard, and has started sharing juicy details about her reality show experience.
The 24-year-old Swansea girl tried 'every single avenue' to keep her job during her eight-week summer break, but was 'devastated' when she had to let it go.
Paige was speaking to fellow ex-islander Sharron Gaffka on her new Girls Know Nothing podcast when she opened up about the difficult decision.
She shared: "When I did tell work I needed the time off to go in [to Love Island], my manager was so supportive and she 100 per cent backed me every step of the way.
"But the only thing was, I tried all ways to keep my job and do Love Island at the same time.
"I said to my manager 'It's a massive opportunity, is there any way I can do it?'"
Paige admitted that she tried to keep her job, from annual leave to unpaid leave to a career break, but in the end, there was nothing she could do.
"Unfortunately, because paramedics and the ambulance service and the NHS in general get such bad backlash about waiting times and being understaffed, I think, they were like, 'Yes, we want to fully support you.'
"But they were worried that when I went in people would be like, 'Oh, the NHS is struggling this much and paramedics are struggling this much and you've let one have time off to go into Love Island.'"
She continued: "It might've created more bad press and bad backlash that they just didn't need, which I totally understand. So the only option I had was to resign, which I was devastated about."
Paige later explained that she has her fingers crossed that she might get to return to her career by becoming a Bank Paramedic - a role that would let her chose the hours and shifts that work for her.
"So having a Bank contract means I can have the best of both worlds", she said.
And it sounds like Paige can't get back to work soon enough!
Just last week, Paige appeared on ITV's Lorraine to discuss her future plans and admitted that she got FOMO the last time she saw an ambulance drive past.
"I've got a meeting to go back to paramedic work as well, so that will be exciting" she said during the interview, with Adam Collard by her side.
"I actually saw an ambulance the other day with sirens on. I had like serious FOMO! I was like, 'Get me my ambulance back!'
Don't be surprised if your Insta feed starts looking like an episode of Grey's Anatomy soon - Paige the paramedic is coming back!
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