Love Island's Sophie Lee bravely opens up about burn scars after shocking fire accident
10 June 2025, 11:14
Sophie Lee has detailed how her facial scars and fire accident has impacted her dating life.
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Love Island star Sophie Lee, 29, has spoken out about her horrifying accident which saw the TV star engulfed in flames after a fire breathing stunt went wrong.
Earlier this week viewers watch the motivational speaker and author enter the Love Island villa alongside fellow contestants Dejon Noel Williams, Conor Phillips, Helena Ford and plenty more.
During one candid moment in the first episode, Sophie bravely revealed what happened to her as she opened up about her accident which caused burns to her face and neck.
Speaking to partner Harry Cooksley about how the incident changed her dating life, Sophie began: "I've only had one boyfriend."
She added: "When I was 22 I was in a fire accident. It made me the woman that I am. It made me learn so much about life and interactions with people and how to be better.
"I believe to date people, you also need to be in a good place in yourself. That's why in my early 20s, I think I wasn't ready to date because I didn't feel good in myself. I had a lot of self work to do, I had a lot of building my own confidence."
This comes after Sophie detailed what happened during the frightening moment, revealing she was booked to perform a fire breathing routine in Chicago when a blast of air-conditioning caused fire to blow back onto the star.
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Watch Sophie discuss her accident here:
Love Island star Sophie opens up about fire accident in the US
Sophie told Fabulous Digital: "The air-con was too strong so when I blew the fire out it blew back to me.
"It set me on fire. I just remember being in so much pain, I blacked out for a little bit. It's crazy.
"It happened in front of everyone and I had to get on with it as professionally and quickly as I could. As soon as I got into the ambulance, I was in bits."
She spent a month in intensive care in the U.S. as doctors treated her severe burns.
Sophie added: "That was a scary, scary time. I couldn’t breathe by yourself, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t really see, it was scary. I was pretty out of it but on day two on looked in the mirror and just cried."
As her skin began to heal, Sophie was allowed to return to the UK, after which keloid scars started growing on her face and chin.
The Love Island favourite stated: "They developed two months after the accident and they will be with me for life. It's just a case of taming and getting it flattening with steroid injections or laser.
"At first the keloids knocked my confidence because I didn’t know what it was. Up until then the scar was just flat. I thought ‘great, my skin’s healed itself, it’s going to be OK’, and then all of a sudden the skin started raising, it kept growing and growing."
The accident has changed Sophie's life, with the Islander confessing: "I just have to accept myself for me.
"I think sometimes people stare because they don’t know how to ask. It’s not intentionally rude, I think they’re just curious and don’t know what to say.
"I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened."
She continued: "I want to speak to young girls, really get the message out there that you should love yourself for everything you are.
"It's taken me a long time to accept my body, especially with the industry I was in, I was always scrutinised for how I look.
"But with this accident it’s crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been."
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