LOVE Island’s Faye Winter, 29, opens up about why she’s chosen celibacy to rediscover herself.
After a two-year break from relationships and healing from the pressures of her public break-up, Faye discusses her new focus on personal growth, her love for her animals, and the empowering life changes she’s making as she heads towards her thirties.
Faye admits she stayed with Teddy Soares longer than she should have—now she’s thriving on her own[/caption]
I’ve been single for two years, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
I have always felt my most insecure in relationships, but now I’m comfortable, self-aware and know my own worth.
I wanted to be single for a year [after splitting from Teddy Soares, 29, in 2023] and I’ve doubled that.
I also wanted to stay celibate, so I could find myself again.
Some sexy DMs did tempt me, but I wanted to stay true to myself.
Since then, I’ve had some great sex. It’s taboo, but women have needs.
At the moment, I like to have sex, but I don’t want anything more than that.
Nobody has come home to meet my golden retriever Bonnie yet.
After Love Island [in 2021], I stayed with Teddy longer than I should have.
I felt people wanted us to fail, so I stayed to try and prove the doubters wrong.
I’d never had a relationship in the public eye before, and it was harder than I could have imagined
When you stay too long in a relationship, you lose part of yourself.
By the end, I was in a very lonely and vulnerable place – the darkest place I’d ever been.
I have nothing to say to Teddy
That wasn’t necessarily due to Teddy’s behaviour [there were claims he’d cheated]; it was because of the way I treated myself by never putting myself first.
We won’t speak again – I’ve got nothing to say to him.
As a child, I was very outdoorsy, but then I started trying to “fit in”, and was more concerned with my hair, make-up and having plastic surgery.
I’ve had my fillers dissolved, because I didn’t recognise myself, inside or outside.
I got breast implants for my 18th birthday, as I’d always felt insecure about my AA/A cups.
On Love Island, I got a lot of backlash about the way I looked, which had a knock-on effect to me feeling lost after the villa.
I’ve since had my fillers dissolved, because I didn’t recognise myself, inside or outside.
Life started to turn around after I got Bonnie two years ago – she really did save my life.
When it comes to Teddy, Faye says the pair won’t be speaking again, admitting: ‘I’ve got nothing to say to him’[/caption]
I was in therapy and couldn’t leave my house because of self-doubt and social anxiety.
She gave me a new focus and reminded me what love was.
I moved back to Devon in early 2023 with Bonnie, then added two rescue ponies, Keith and Kevin, to our clan in November 2024.
Being covered in mud with my animals has made my heart feel full again.
Top of my list for a partner is love and compassion for animals.
If they’re allergic to dogs, we could never see each other again!
I’m a great Auntie Faye for about 55 minutes, then I’m done – I have animals to tend to!
Bonnie’s a terrible wingwoman, because she doesn’t like men.
She’s a bit like me – she takes a while to trust new people.
Freezing my eggs is something I’m learning about.
I turn 30 in June, and I’m not at the stage where I’m longing for children or feel like something’s missing from my life.
I don’t know at what point that will click – maybe it won’t, and I’m OK with that.
But I’m not going to lower my standards to find a man because I want to start a family.
I’m a great Auntie Faye for about 55 minutes, then I’m done – I have animals to tend to!
And I’m not looking to have a child solo – I’ve got my three fur babies.
I love myself
When people ask about my love life, I don’t get embarrassed – my love life is me, and I love myself.
I feel the least lonely I’ve ever been.
My perfect Sunday is going for a dog walk and a pint with Bonnie.
I’ve bought a house by myself and sometimes fear I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with the renovations, but I can chew a lot in my big mouth without the self-doubt whispering in my ear.
Having that extra pair of hands would be useful, but I love that I’ve done it on my own.
You will not see me on Love Island: All Stars. It was an amazing experience, but for me, it didn’t work.
I’m learning things every day – like how to strip plaster off walls and things my dad would do while I was growing up.
I feel very empowered.
But this year, I want to do more.
It can feel like your path is cast in stone after life in the villa, but I know that wasn’t my path, and now I’m carving out my own that I can be proud of.
I won’t work with brands that test on animals, so that cancels out a lot!
I’ve just filmed something super-exciting, so hopefully you’ll see that soon.
You will not see me on Love Island: All Stars. It was an amazing experience, but for me, it didn’t work.
Plus, I know lots of past contestants – if I was going to date any of them, it would have happened by now.
If the right person comes along, then they’re welcome, but I’m not going to change myself to fit their narrative.
They have to abide by mine and Bonnie’s rules.
