Love Island’s Ollie Williams has apologised for posing with dead animals and has insisted that he isn’t a trophy hunter.
The 23-year-old star caused uproar when pictures emerged of him smiling next to slaughtered beasts with Ofcom later receiving 231 complaints when he appeared in the villa as one of the winter 2020 series contestants.
‘I can see why people reacted to those pictures in the way they did – the photos are offensive, all people can see is a dead animal and me smiling and I apologise for the offensive nature of them,’ Ollie began.
‘I knew the negativity was about these pictures because taken out of context they look bad. I’m not a trophy hunter and I don’t take gratification out of killing animals.’
Ollie explained that he was given the chance to work in conservation and anti-poaching in Mozambique, which is where the pictures were taken.
He added to The Sun: ‘Sustainable hunting is conservation all the money made goes back into protecting the wildlife.’
Ollie’s apology comes just hours after he confirmed that he’s now back together with the ex-girlfriend he quit Love Island for.
The heir to the Lanhydrock estate, who quit the dating show after just three days, claimed he was leaving the villa because he was still in love with former partner Laura Nofer and had realised she is the girl he wants to marry.
The reality star revealed he went straight to see Laura when he flew back from South Africa, admitting to the publication that he’s ‘so grateful she has taken me back’.
At the time of his exit, Ollie confessed in the Beach Hut: ‘I have to be honest with myself, and everyone, that I do still love someone else… I have to follow my heart in this scenario and it would be wrong for me to ignore these feelings.
‘At the end of the day, this is Love Island and it’s about finding love. If I carried on anything with Paige, or any other girl that might come into the villa, it wouldn’t be fair on them.’
Love Island continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV2.
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