Gabby Allen has opened up about OK! after winning her first season of Love Island All Stars. about the health battles she faced since she was a child. Gabby reveals all in her first exclusive interview since leaving the villa with Casey O’Gorman and details her long-standing scoliosis treatment.
Gabby admitted working out too soon after her first op in 2017 and admitting to “ruining her boobs.” “My boobs had bottomed out which means they had come out of the pocket that had been made for them to sit in”, she has said. The star tells us, “I had my breasts done again in 2023.” “My scoliosis caused it,” she said. My ribs on the back left side are wonky. The ribs were removed, but the ribs were still there.
She goes on to say that, despite the fact that I didn’t develop as one might expect, I was unhappy with my breasts. Mum’s always thought that it’s something to do with the fact I had stunted growth from the spinal operation – and that I should have been around four or five inches taller.
She thinks that this had a negative impact on everything in my torso. My breasts were pushed even more forward, giving my confidence even more to the contrary, and I was forced to face my chest wall in more confidence.
Gabby adds”, I had them done in December 2023 for the second time, with the recovery going into 2024. Now, all I need to do is be careful and ensure that I maintain my breasts and spine as effectively as possible. And how they look really appeal to me. “While it doesn’t cause me pain any more, because of how strong I am, scoliosis is a part of my daily life and training – and how I approach my lifestyle because of it”.
After taking a vacation when Gabby was 11 years old, she was diagnosed with life-changing scoliosis. When my mother noticed my back was wonky, my dad taught me how to dive into the pool, she recalls.
“They said if I didn’t have an op, I might end up immobile and I was told I’d have a hunchback”, she says bluntly. Her spine began to deteriorate, and she was, terrifyingly, five degrees away from being untreatable. Gabby explains that “it would have been incurable.” “I needed surgery immediately, and Mum and I had to sign a document to say that I had a chance of being paralysed if I didn’t agree to surgery that would replace my spine with metal”, she says.
A gruelling operation followed, which saw her have six ribs removed and metal rods, nuts and bolts inserted into her back. She had to regain her walking ability, which made the recovery even more difficult. I felt like a plank of wood the first time they sat me up in bed. I thought I was going to snap in half”, Gabby adds. She quietly explains that the experience left behind significant emotional and physical scars. My back is scarred by a 16-inch piece. I used to walk with my back against the wall because I was so embarrassed”.
Gabby says, “I had to learn to walk once more, never mind to dance.” She started dancing and defying the odds in six months. I honestly believe that going back to dancing so soon after surgery built the resilience in me to do what I do now. Gabby “channeled that resilience into building her strength” rather than letting her battle define her. She claims that the more I feel, the more powerful I become. It led to a successful fitness career, becoming a qualified PT, and now a fitness entrepreneur with her platform Shape Up.
She was already a well-known face on reality TV when Gabby, 33, first entered the Love Island All Stars villa earlier this year (only to be met by her ex, Marcel Somerville). The chatty Liverpudlian, who won the 2017 series, returned for another chance at love and ended up with Casey.
And while she and Casey, 28, may have won the show, the real test comes, she admits, after the cameras stop rolling. The new couple has enjoyed every second of living apart from the villa. It’s so much better when “she grins” because you’re constantly on camera and in a bubble in a different world. Now, we just get to be normal. It’s perfect because we both live just ten minutes apart. It’s fascinating to witness each other’s passions in action. It’s really easy and comfortable. We have a lot of fun, and he even has me make TikToks, “laughs Gabby.”
That means spending quality time at home, but that doesn’t mean they are completely out of the spotlight. People expect to see us together every second, and think we’re on the rocks when they haven’t seen us for a day – truth is, we’re probably just having sex, “she giggles.
She reveals exclusively that she has a plan for her, and that motherhood is also on Gabby’s mind at the age of 33. She claims that a woman’s body clock is not always accurate. So I’ve decided that freezing my eggs gives me security. “
Her decision was prompted not just by age, but health concerns”. Because of my high prolactin levels, I had to have an MRI because I have PCOS. She “reveals” that they believed I had a tumor in my pituitary gland. Luckily, they didn’t find anything, but my gyno told me that freezing my eggs would be the safest option. I genuinely want children, but having PCOS and egg freezing gives me a backup plan, whether it’s as a badass single mother or in a relationship.
Do Casey’s future plans include children? We haven’t discussed having children in detail, we are still so fresh in our new relationship and in our honeymoon period, “admits Gabby, smiling”. When you leave a show like Love Island, you can feel the pressures from the outside world, like moving in together, having children, and getting married.
We’re fortunate to live so close to one another and to be living in a situation where we don’t let the pressure come our way. We’re taking our time and the relationship at our own pace, which is exciting. “
Although Gabby has always been very secret about her father’s passing when she was just 21, the actress is now open about it 12 years later. She reveals sadly that when Dad passed away, we lost everything: “We didn’t just lose him. We lost everything.” The business, the house. Domino effect was created. The worst kind of brain tumor you can have is glioblastoma multiforme, which Dad had. Within 10 months of diagnosis, he was gone. “
According to Gabby, the mental deterioration that followed it made things worse. In ten months, someone essentially lost their mind and began to deteriorate in front of you.
Gabby was away at drama school at the time, and believes her mum and younger brother protected her from the darkest moments”. She reveals that she always felt guilty about missing that time. However, his passing marked the family’s financial and emotional nightmare.
” His business left him in a huge amount of debt, and when he passed away, my mum was left with debts she didn’t even know existed. But, she explains, “Mum was the guarantor for everything.” Up until it was too late, she had no idea what was happening. She had to go bankrupt. She also lost her own company. It was terrible.
In the aftermath, Gabby found herself juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat”. I was attempting to have a little bit of freedom while teaching fitness classes and working as a waitress in an effort to relieve my mother of her stress.
Then, at age 25, Love Island called and changed her life. Never did I anticipate a life-changing performance. I thought I’d be on it for a week, come out either single or with someone, maybe have a few more PT clients, be more in demand… But the opportunities and freedom that came from it gave us so much more.
If I won, people inquired as to what I would do with the money I’d earned from Love Island. After a few years of absolute hell, I just wanted to give my mother some rest and a good night’s sleep. If I hadn’t done Love Island, I don’t know what our future would’ve looked like”.
Gabby has clarity now greater than ever when she leaves the villa for a second time. “I am my strongest, most educated version of myself.” I know exactly who I am now”, she says confidently.
She is also aware that some people have preconceived notions of reality TV personalities. “People have a sense of the kind of person who visits Love Island,” he said. I’m not trying to say my life has been dead difficult – I had a really good childhood. Then it was all taken away. Just before I entered the show, that period of my life shaped who I am.
For now, Gabby’s focus is her fitness empire. Her wellness program, Shape Up, has grown into a full-fledged online community. She explains, “I’m helping thousands of women with a 360-degree approach to wellness” and not just with fitness.
Since launching Shape Up in 2020, Gabby has grown it into a thriving brand. In the platform’s history, our launch day was the biggest, with my new Island Body Program. My mind was blown! It was the program I used when I was getting into the best shape of my life before going back into the villa”, she says.
It doesn’t slow down either. “I hope everyone will read my story because it will demonstrate that having a disability at one point in my life and working as a fitness guru proves that you can do it. I want to help so many more people transform their lives, just like I have”, Gabby adds.
“I want to hold more retreats, expand into nutrition and mindfulness, and create a space where women feel supported in every way. Part of that is through community and going through a journey with like-minded people.” If anyone is aware of Gabby’s strength, it’s much more than just lifting weights.
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Source: Mirror
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