AFTER leaving the Love Island villa Tanya Manhenga was excited to be reunited with her friends, family, and her beloved phone.
But turning it on she was greeted by a barrage of vile abuse from viewers that stemmed from her actions weeks earlier in Casa Amor.
Tanya was one of the most talked about stars of the recent winter Love Island series
She fell in love with Shaq within two weeks of meeting him
Despite claiming to be in love with Shaq Muhammad, 25, who she’d been coupled up with from the start, Tanya had a fling with Casa bombshell Martin Akinola, and brought him back to the villa.
Speaking to the Sun, 23-year-old Tanya says she was shocked by the public’s reaction, but doesn’t regret straying – claiming it made her realise it was Shaq she wanted.
She says: “It’s actually a good thing I did because when we came back I realised no, this is not for me.
“I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal outside. I was more worried about the inside.
“I was like, ‘Are these people going to hate me when I get back?’ But I had to own it. Not everyone is going to like everything you’re going to choose.
“But I thought, I’m sorry but how can you afford to go to Casa Amor and not bring him back, because now I’m just going to be thinking, what if?
“In my head I thought, I’ll take Martin back and see if it goes anywhere, but still get to know Shaq. But with people’s feelings, that’s not how it works.”
Tanya adds that there’s a reason so many people fall under the Casa Amor spell and stray from their partners, despite being ‘closed off’.
Tanya was seen as the show’s villain when she decoupled with Martin Akinola
“You’re not there for long”, Tanya explains. “You meet these six boys and you can imagine how they feel because that’s how you felt when you walked in.
“So you’re thinking, I need to at least give these people a chance, even if it’s a friendly thing.
“You also don’t know what’s happening in the other villa. I think a lot of people think, ‘What if I don’t give this a chance and what if I look silly? What if he’s over there doing something?’
“It’s the fear of the unknown.”
It only took Tanya a few days to realise she had made a mistake and still wanted to be with Shaq.
She then went on a mission to win him back, which she claims was much harder than what people saw on screen.
Tanya says: “I would literally tell the others when they sit next to him, just tell him Tanya said hi? It was just to annoy him to the point where it’s like, this girl is still thinking about me.”
Vile trolls
Tanya and Shaq eventually reconciled after she apologised for her antics in Casa Amor
Shaq eventually forgave her after she made a speech apologising in front of her fellow Islanders.
But on leaving the villa she was shocked by how nasty some of the hateful messages she received were.
She explains: “I had DMs saying you’re not even that pretty, you should go kill yourself, and stuff to do with the fact that I’m black.
“When I came out I just told myself I’m not going to look, because once you look, you’d want to see something else, you’d want to see if someone is defending you, and you’re not going to find it. So I just didn’t look.
“It sounds easier said than done but whenever I did see something, I’d just swipe and delete right away.
“I don’t know these people and they don’t know me. If they did, they would probably love me because I’m actually a decent person.”
And while she and Shaq were pegged as early favourites to win Love Island, Tanya doesn’t believe that would have ever happened.
“I don’t think me and him would have ever won,” she admits.
“I knew we were favourites because when I came back my friends and family told me, and you can feel it when you’re in there. But then you’re on a TV show it’s not always going to be smooth.
“We thought there was going to be a twist that would make it all go away and it did happen.
“Yes, we were favourites but even if that didn’t happen and we carried on being smooth, I don’t believe we would have won.”
Going strong
The pair are still together and are stronger than ever
The couple finished in fourth place, and Tanya says she and former airport security worker Shaq, are stronger than ever.
“Since we’ve come out I actually feel like the relationship is now a real one,” she says.
“When you’re on the show you’re together but there’ll be 50 people watching you.
“It’s nice to come out and actually be real with each other. I think it’s less pressure outside.
“The minute you listen to outside opinion, it’s going to go downhill. Us keeping each other grounded helps a lot.”
While some viewers claimed Shaq’s behaviour at times showed “red flags”, Tanya insists that’s far from the man she knows.
She says: “Those insecurities that were shown on TV haven’t shown on the outside.
“He was portrayed as being smothering and one of those guys that wouldn’t want you to do anything. But in real life and real-time, it wasn’t like that.
“He’s caring and has a very big heart. He’s got sisters as well so that’s the way he is.”
The pair famously declared their love to each other two weeks after meeting, but Tanya insists she meant it.
She gushes: “If I don’t feel it, I’m not going to say it. I don’t care what kind of pressure is going on around me, or who else has said it.
“A lot of people thought it’s because we are in this bubble and we’re excited and find each other attractive. It did feel right and it does show because we’re still together and going on strong.”
My type on paper
Tanya says she feels they are now in a real relationship after leaving the villa
Tanya says she only had eyes for Shaq the moment she walked into the villa and says: “I knew it was him straight away. He’s just my type. The dreads, tattoos, muscles, and the height. It was me.”
With her ideal man by her side and her newfound fame, Tanya says she’s looking to the future and would like to get into more TV work.
“I feel like I have such a personality and definitely want to do more TV. Something a little more light-hearted than Love Island,” she beams.
“I would do I’m A Celeb although I’m a wimp and I would do Strictly because I can actually dance and can learn quickly.
“I’m open to anything like presenting. I just have the personality to dip my feet into anything.”
With Tanya’s new-found friendship with ex-Islander Indiyah Polack, who now has a slew of TV gigs and endorsements, she’s in good company.
The influencer says she would like some more TV work
Tanya has struck up a friendship with ex-Islander Indiyah Polack
