'I was stressed about my bills'

Love Island's Paige Thorne tells new about the dispute with Forever Unique which left her "crying every day"

- Lauren Fletcher

Paige Thorne has broken her silence over the “nightmare” legal case with clothing retailer Forever Unique. In an exclusive chat with new, the former Love Island star, 25, reveals it was “in the darkest time of my life” when their partnership broke down.

The situation impacted her mental health, and Paige tells us she tried to cope with her anxiety by “drinking and partying” too much. Now sober for seven months, the experience has left her determined to show fans the “real Paige”.

When the former paramedic left the villa last year in fifth place, she was hot property, with businesses clamouring to sign her as the face of their brands.

“I had lots of opportunities already waiting for me when I came out of the villa in regards to brand deals. It was an exciting time,” Paige tells us. “There was a lot of hype around my name.”

One brand keen to collaborate with the star was Forever Unique, established in 2008 by RHOC’s Seema Malhotra and her husband Sandeep. Paige announced her partnership with the online fashion brand in August 2022 – a deal said to be in the six-figures.

But she claims the dream quickly turned into a “nightmare” and that she’s due money from Forever Unique. The partnership involved the star launching a clothing line and then fulfilling various social media obligations.

“I was literally like, ‘Oh my God, I’m owed money. Like, what am I meant to do?’ I’m a home owner and I was so stressed about paying my bills that I was crying to my parents every day, saying, ‘What am I going to do?’ I was relying on that contract so much.”