Love Island's George Fensom addresses unearthed homophobic tweets
The 24-year-old has branded past tweets of his as "really unfortunate".
ITV2's Love Island season 10 is yet to land on our screens and it seems as though the series is already setting social media alight over one of the recently-announced new islanders entering the villa this summer.
24-year-old George Fensom is part of the line-up of 10 singletons entering the Love Island villa this year but has been accused of using homophobic slurs in a series of resurfaced tweets.
A previously released TikTok (that was created in December 2022) has also been unearthed and displays his ex-girlfriend sharing a series of photographs together that she captioned with her thoughts about Fensom's behaviour.
In the video, she states that he "constantly lied to others and made empty promises", as well as branding him a "cheat" and "narcissist".
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press about his response to any of the negative backlash that the TikTok videos may have created, he said: “I feel like, in this scenario, I just want to be as respectful as I can towards her, you know, because I appreciate that she isn't in in the public eye as I am in this scenario."
He continued: "It's really unfortunate, actually quite upsetting on my behalf, that a picture has been painted about me in that light. I'm looking forward now to sort of moving forward with things and going into the villa, just providing sort of a new wave of energy and people can see that, actually, that isn't the George that we've just been painted a picture of and he isn't that way.”
He added: "I'm looking forward now to going into the villa, you know, to prove that, actually, the things that have been wrote about me aren't true and people can see a different light to me, essentially.”
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As for whether there will be any further exes or friends making videos about him, Fensom said: “No, no, no. I'm confident that, you know, everything else will be smooth sailing from here and there will be nothing else to report, hopefully.”
Fensom was also questioned about a series of tweets that have been unearthed that show him using homophobic slurs from the now-deactivated @_Georgeefensom account.
Since the announcement of Fensom joining the villa, an anonymous Twitter account called Exposing George Fensom has written multiple tweets about Fensom and his alleged past conduct.
They have accused him of "writing homophobic and misogynistic tweets".
Responding to those claims, Fensom told RadioTimes.com and other press: “In regards to the accounts, it's really unfortunate that's been brought up because, you know, that isn't the person that I am today."
"Actually, looking back on those tweets, I was really naive and really young to think that that was the right thing to say. It's obviously not the right thing to say on my behalf, and it's one of them situations that it doesn't show the man that I am today at all, in any way, shape, or form."
He continued: “As I say, you know, I can't even remember off the top of my head when it was, 14/15. Even so, we are talking near enough 10 years ago. So much learning gets done every day around these subject areas and we are still, as humans, continuing to learn now of what is right and what is wrong."
When asked about his reaction to some people saying that he "should've known better and perhaps shouldn't be in the Love Island villa", Fensom said: "In regards to people who may be saying that I'm not right for the villa, if that's came out, then all I would say is everyone's got mistakes, everyone's made mistakes. Everyone's said things that they regret.
"The difference in the way that I'll defend myself is the way that I'm owning that and I'm admitting that that was the wrong thing to say. And, actually, if I could turn back time then I wouldn't have said the things that I've said, so that's all I can defend myself and say in this scenario.”
When also asked whether, in light of these social media posts coming out, it would affect the way Fensom acts or behaves in the villa, he said: "No, actually. I've thought about this, and it's the opposite. I'm glad that I've actually got the opportunity to speak to you guys now about it, because, actually, it gives me the opportunity to be able to sort of defend myself and actually explain what the situation is and how it all came about, rather than sort of me being in there and saying, 'You don't know what's right from wrong,' which would be completely understandable."
He continued: "But what happens now is it gives me the opportunity to actually explain the situation, defend myself and hopefully you guys can understand from me, what I'm speaking about right now... isn't the right picture to paint of George. And yeah, hopefully we can just move forward in the villa and I'll be acting as I do now."
Love Island starts on ITV2 on Monday 5th June 2023 at 9pm. You can watch all previous seasons of Love Island on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.
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