Zara McDermott will delve into the world of trolls in a new BBC documentary and discover the true faces of those who have attacked her online.
The 27-year-old former Love Island star has pivoted in her post-reality TV career to present six documentaries for the BBC, covering a range of topics from revenge porn to missing people.
And in her latest documentary, Zara explores what it’s like to be a perpetrator of online abuse, with findings revealing that almost one in four UK adults have experienced trolling.
Zara has endured her fair share of abuse online, and the documentary reveals that her abusers were ordinary people – nurses, teachers and parents.
Speaking to BBC One’s Morning Live, Zara said: “I used to think a troll was someone who sat in a dark room in front of a laptop all day spewing hateful comments online.”
Zara McDermott will delve into the world of trolling in a new BBC documentary to discover the true faces of those who have been attacking her online, it was revealed on Wednesday.
The former Love Island star, 27, has made six documentaries for the BBC on topics ranging from revenge porn to missing people in a career change following his time on the reality show.
“But in reality, these are people who have normal jobs, who have friends, who have kids.”
Looking at everyday extremism – the notion that we are all complicit in hateful speech online, sometimes by sharing small bits of negative content – Zara explores how some online discourse can quickly veer into hatred.
Zara also spoke to Professor Keshi Mahendran from the Open University, who explained that everyday extremism often originates from memes and jokes that spread online and then rapidly escalate.
“The key moment is when you communicate your hostility to the other side,” he said. “Often times you communicate your hostility using things that may not actually be true, and then you put that out there to damage the reputation of the other side or that group.”
The series is Zara’s latest documentary project since transitioning into presenting.
In 2021, Kate’s own experience with revenge porn, aged 26, was broadcast on BBC3, opening the door to her work with charities against sexual abuse and leading to multiple meetings with Queen Camilla and Prince Charles, including being a champion for Kate’s recent “Shaping Us” campaign.
The former Love Island and Made in Chelsea star is currently dating her MIC co-star Sam Thompson, 30. From finding love in a villa in Mallorca and famously crying on a bench in Made in Chelsea, she is now successfully rebuilding her brand, working with celebrities to campaign for change on serious issues.
Zara, 21, is a government adviser and rose to the public’s attention when she appeared on Love Island in 2018, the same year as Dani Dyer.
And in her latest documentary, Zara explores what it’s like to be a perpetrator of online abuse, with findings revealing that one in four UK adults have experienced trolling.
In the documentary, Zara’s experience of online abuse reveals that her abusers were ordinary people – nurses, teachers and parents.
Zara was just 21 when she entered the Love Island villa in Mallorca.
In her dating profile, she describes herself as “fairly serious” but “spontaneous, fun and energetic”, and says: “If I fall in love with someone, I will give myself 100%.”
The Islander surprised his date. She entered the villa on day 15 but was dumped by another potential star, Dr Alex George, after just 10 days.
It was enough to give the aspiring star a growing social media following, and set her on the path to TV stardom, where she went on to appear alongside Sam in Made in Chelsea.
In February 2021, Zara revealed that revenge porn had led her to consider suicide after a boy shared naked photos of her at school when she was just 14.
Revenge porn (image-based sexual abuse) is the sharing of someone else’s private sexual material without their consent.
She revealed in a BBC3 documentary that she felt “ostracized, punished and humiliated” by her teachers and classmates, while the boy who sent the images was “acquitted.”
Zara, who was a victim of the same crime in 2018, said she felt so embarrassed that she considered suicide to avoid having to go back to school.
Zara is still in a relationship with Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson, with whom she co-starred on the E4 show.
The boy shared the image with his friends and it spread to Coopers Company and Coborne School in Upminster, Essex, and by lunchtime the following day had reached neighbouring schools.
Following the release of the documentary, the star’s career took a major turn, with more opportunities to work with members of the royal family opening up.
In January of this year, Zara made a surprise appearance at Prince Charles’ “Shaping Us” event.
The reality TV star turned TV presenter mingled with the royals at the BAFTA London event, where the family announced the next phase of the “Shaping Us” campaign and was hosted by the Royal Foundation Early Childhood Education Centre.
And in May 2023, she was again at Prince Charles’ side when he visited a community centre in Bath in support of Kelly Holm’s charity.
Zara is registered Kate is one of the driving forces behind the Shaping Us campaign – promoting the importance of early childhood development.