Love Island's Belle Hassan reveals she would self-harm between the ages of 13-19

Love Island 2019’s Belle Hassan has revealed she spent her teenage years self-harming, following a hate campaign led by her ex-boyfriend from school.

The former reality star, now 23, told The Sun that she ‘went through a very long stage of hating everything’ about herself, and that she would ‘look in the mirror and think I was absolutely disgusting’.

Belle – who is the daughter of actor Tamer ­Hassan – said: ‘It started when I was around 13 and went on until I was 19. I felt worthless and had all this anger I needed to let out. 

Scars of the past: Love Island 2019’s Belle Hassan has revealed she spent her teenage years self-harming, following a hate campaign led by her ex-boyfriend from school

‘It was also about punishment because I hated myself so much. I hated myself for not being what I wanted to be, and self-harming became my way of expressing that pain.’

Belle hid her self-harming by wearing clothes that covered up her scars, keeping the trauma from her father and the rest of her family so that they wouldn’t question her about it.

The ex-Love Islander believes the ordeal was triggered by one boy in particular.

Not meant to be: Belle was paired with Anton Danyluk on Love Island 2019, but this romance didn’t last outside the villa

Shame: Belle hid her self-harming by wearing clothes that covered up her scars, keeping the trauma from her father, actor Tamar Hassan, and the rest of her family so that they wouldn’t question her about it [pictured August 2019]

‘He was lovely at first but when I split up with him he became really horrible and it affected my life terribly,’ she went on. ‘He had to be removed from all my lessons because he was constantly abusing me, shouting things like, ‘You f**king sl*g’, and calling me ugly.

‘When someone tells you that over and over at such a young age, you begin to believe it. My opinion about myself began to change.’

Belle was paired with Anton Danyluk on Love Island 2019, but this romance didn’t last outside the villa.

Troubled past: The former reality star, now 23, says she ‘went through a very long stage of hating everything’ about herself, and that she would ‘look in the mirror and think I was absolutely disgusting’ [pictured last week]

After rising to prominence on the ITV2 show, she took part in a candid discussion about her mental health with her Hollywood hardman dad on his podcast Family Business.

Revealing how difficult things were for her when she was younger, a clearly emotional Belle said: ‘It’s not something that’s easy for me to talk about. I don’t mind talking about it but it’s not easy.  

‘As you know dad, when I was a kid I did go through a stage of self-harming. For me that was something I really struggled with, and again it all came from a thing of…’

Belle could then be heard struggling to compose herself, as her dad told the audience: ‘We’re all welling up here. Take your time.’

Strong: ‘When someone tells you that over and over at such a young age, you begin to believe it. My opinion about myself began to change,’ she said

Expressing sympathy for those in similar situations, Belle continued: ‘Mental health has been something that has been close to me.

‘I think when I’ve worked with young girls, I’ve seen that in so many of them.’

‘It’s normal to hate yourself, it’s normal to feel like you’re not enough, you’re worthless, you’re this, you’re that.

‘Being young and feeling like that about yourself is horrible.’

For help and advice on suffering with self-harm, contact MIND at mind.org.uk.