Career makeover! How ex reality TV star Zara McDermott, who's heading for Strictly, went from Lov... - 7 minutes read
The first episode of a new BBC documentary about the death of teenager Gaia Pope in November 2017 - and how society failed her - aired this week.
The hard-hitting three-parter delves deep into Gaia’s disappearance, and the reasons behind her tragic death from hypothermia on perilous Dancing Ledge in coastal Dorset.
Presenting it is former Essex reality TV star Zara McDermott, the series marks the latest string in her documentary bow.
In 2021, the 26-year-old's own story on revenge porn was told via BBC3, opening the door to charity work against sexual abuse that has seen her meet Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales on multiple occasions - including becoming a champion for Kate's recent Shaping Us campaign.
Mcdermott, 26, pictured with the Princess of Wales in January this year at the royal's Shaping Us campaign. Since making a documentary for BBC3 about her own experiences of revenge porn, Mcdermott has met Kate and Queen Camilla on several occasions
The ex Love Island and Made in Chelsea star, who is still dating MIC co-star Sam Thompson, 30, is enjoying a remarkable rebranding, going from looking for love in a Mallorcan villa, and famously crying on a bench in Made in Chelsea, to campaign for change on serious issues with the highest profile names.
Indeed, such is the BBC's belief that Mcdermott could be a rising star for the broadcaster, they've given her the ultimate seal of approval - a spot on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
Here, FEMAIL looks at how Zara has transformed her career from bikini-clad dater to shining a light on sexual violence and abuse of women...
LOVE ISLAND: THE REALITY TV BIG BREAK
'Quite serious': Zara was just 21 when she entered the Mallorcan Love Island villa
Announcing herself as a government adviser, 21-year-old Mcdermott set pulses racing when she entered the Mallorcan villa, the same year that Dani Dyer appeared in 2018.
She described herself as 'quite serious' but also 'spontaneous, fun and energetic' in her dating profile, saying 'I think that if I like someone, I will go for them 100%.'
The Islander surprised daters when she entered the villa on Day 15 but lasted just ten days before she was dumped by another star in the making Dr Alex George.
It was enough to bless the ambitious star with a healthy social media following, putting her on the path to TV stardom.
GOING VIRAL FOR CRYING IN M.I.C, AND X FACTOR CELEBRITY APPEARANCE
TV gold: Mcdermott's tears over cheating allegations in an episode of Made in Chelsea went viral in 2019
The reality star later reignited her romance with Sam Thompson and the pair are still dating
For some reality TV fans, Zara will forever be most remembered for weeping on a bench after being accused of cheating on boyfriend Sam Thompson with music boss Brahim Fouradi during her time on X Factor: Celebrity.
The reality star had appeared on the series in the summer and autumn of 2019, as part of the Love Island pop group No Love Lost.
At this point, she had been in a relationship with Sam for several months. The couple went public with their romance in May 2019, four months after Zara's split from Love Island co-star Adam Collard.
It is unlikely that she will fall victim to the infamous Strictly curse because she is still dating Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, with whom she has starred alongside on the E4 show
The star has a large social media following after rising to fame on Love Island in 2018 and competing on The X Factor: Celebrity the following year, performing for Simon Cowell
The TV gold moment saw Zara begging for Sam's forgiveness on a bench - a clip that went viral after airing.
Later, the reality star admitted the infidelity, posting to Instagram that 'a huge mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face this head on.
She added: 'I don’t condone being unfaithful and I made a huge mistake at a time in my life where I was hugely selfish and immature.
THE FIRST BBC DOCUMENTARY ON REVENGE PORN
In her first BBC documentary, on revenge porn in 2021, Mcdermott revealed she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers as a 14-year-old after a boy at her school circulated a naked image of her (pictured outside Parliament Square in London)
In February 2021, Zara revealed how revenge porn had made her consider suicide after a boy shared naked pictures of her around their school when she was just 14.
Revenge Porn - or Image-based sexual abuse - is the sharing of private, sexual materials of another person without their consent.
In the BBC3 documentary, she revealed how she felt 'shunned, punished and shamed' by her teachers and peers, while the boy who sent the image got off 'scot free'.
The reality star turned documentary maker, pictured filming her BBC3 documentary on revenge porn, has since campaigned with Refuge to bring about a change in laws surrounding the crime
Zara has fronted several documentaries for BBC Three including about her experience of revenge porn and the rise of eating disorders among teens
Zara, who was later victim to the same offence in 2018, said the shame drove her to consider taking her own life so she wouldn't have to go back to school.
The boy had shared the image with friends and it circulated around the the Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster, Essex, before reaching neighbouring schools by lunchtime the following day.
It even reached her 11-year-old brother and her mother, who worked in the food and tech department of the school, who had to confront colleagues and other parents who told her she should 'be ashamed'.
She has since gone on to present other BBC documentaries including Uncovering Rape Culture and her most recent Gaia: A death on Dancing Ledge. She's also presented dating show Love in the Flesh.
RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH ROYALTY - AND A SPOT ON STRICTLY
The then Duchess of Cornwall first met McDermott during a reception at Clarence House in London to mark 50 years of Refuge
Following on from the release of her documentary, the 26-year-old's career has seen a gear change, with opportunities to work with royals coming thick and fast.
In January this year, Zara made a surprise appearance at The Princess of Wales' Shaping Us event.
The reality star turned TV presenter rubbed shoulders with royalty at the BAFTA London event, which saw the royal launch the next stage of her Shaping Us campaign and was hosted by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
The 26-year-old joined the Princess at the Percy Community Centre in Bath in May, posing with students who had been helped by the programme, alongside Dame Kelly Holmes
In conversation: The Princess chatted to Dame Kelly and McDermott, who is one of the Shaping Us campaign champions - Kate's initiative to promote the importance of early years development
And in May, she was again by the Princess of Wales' side as they visited a Bath community centre being supported by Dame Kelly Holme's charity.
Mcdermott is signed up as one of the Shaping Us campaign champions - Kate's initiative to promote the importance of early years development.
Zara previously met with Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace for a reception to raise awareness of violence against women.
In November, she was welcomed to Buckingham Palace for a reception to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, as part of the United Nations' 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
In February 2022, McDermott met Camilla at Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral centre in West London
At the summer's end, she'll be the first Love Island star to make the leap onto Strictly Come Dancing.
Up until now, the BBC has not recruited anyone who has found fame on the show to compete for the Glitterball trophy, but the broadcaster believe due to her focus on documentary making Zara fits the bill.
A Strictly insider told MailOnline: 'Zara is the perfect signing for Strictly, not only is she beautiful and glamorous but she is hardworking and will take being on the show very seriously.
'She's absolutely loved the experience of documentary making and is over the moon to further her relationship with the BBC by signing up to Strictly.
'It is a dream come true for her and becoming the first former Love Island star to do so is the icing on the cake.'
Source: Daily Mail
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