Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu has broken her silence after avoiding the Celebrity Big Brother live final following her eviction last week.
Friday’s live show saw this year’s cast reunite as the winner was crowned but Ekin-Su chose not to be involved.
Speaking for the first time since leaving the house, Ekin-Su told her fans on social media: @I know it’s unlike me to hide away, but I’ve been taking some time to reflect.”
She went on: “Sometimes in our lowest moments, we learn the most important lessons about ourselves. I hope you don’t think I was selfish for setting boundaries and putting my own needs first last night. I’m fully aware that not everybody will understand my absence, or think it was the right decision to make, but it was the right decision for me.
“I chose to remove myself from a potentially uncomfortable situation that I preferred to avoid. I’m proud of myself for recognising what I need during this time, despite the hate that might come my way.”
The Love Island continued: “Accountability is key and when I’m ready, I will give some context around these past few weeks. Thank you to everybody who has sent kindness my way, I see you, and I appreciate you. The new chapter starts now.”
She concluded: “I hope everybody enjoyed watching the CBB final. A huge congratulations to David for the win. Xx.”
Ekin-Su’s decision may stem from her challenging experience on Celebrity Big Brother: Late & Live, immediately following her eviction last Friday.
She found herself embroiled in a heated discussion with hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best, as well as celebrity house guest Layton Williams.
The conversation centred on her portrayal in the show, with Ekin-Su voicing concerns over the editing process and its impact on her image.
Despite her eviction, Ekin-Su defended her actions and expressed hurt over not being portrayed “as myself” on the programme.
“You haven’t seen everything, they cut stuff out,” she said, to which Layton replied: “You’re not going to blame it on the edit. One thing you’re not going to do is blame it on the edit, girl. We see what we see and it’s a shame.”
Ekin-Su insisted: “I’m just hurt that I wasn’t portrayed as myself on the show.”
AJ replied: “It’s interesting because you have literally just walked out of the house. You don’t know what’s been seen or what’s been said, but I can assure you that everything that has been seen and has been said has been said by you.”
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