Zara McDermott will delve into the world of trolling for a new BBC documentary, and discover the true faces of the people who have been abusing her online.
The former Love Island star, 27, has presented six documentaries for the BBC with topics ranging from revenge porn to missing people, in a career change after her reality show appearance.
And in her latest documentary, Zara will look into just what a perpetrator of online abuse looks like – as it’s revealed almost one in four adults in the UK have experience trolling.
Having experience her fair share of online abuse, Zara’s documentary will see her discover that the people who have been abusing her are regular people including nurses, teachers, or parents with children.
In the film for BBC One’s Morning Live, Zara says: ‘I had a perception in my head that a troll was someone who sat in a dark room in a laptop all day spewing out hateful comments online.
Zara McDermott will delve into the world of trolling for a new BBC documentary, and discover the true faces of the people who have been abusing her online, it was revealed on Wednesday
The former Love Island star, 27, has presented six documentaries for the BBC with topics ranging from revenge porn to missing people, in a career change after her reality show appearance
‘But actually these people are people with normal jobs, with friends, with children.’
Looking into Everyday Extremism, the concept that we’re all contributing to hateful speech online by sharing small bits of sometimes negative content, Zara investigates how some online narratives spiral so quickly towards hate.
Zara also speaks to Professor Kesi Mahendran of The Open University, who explains how Everyday Extremism often comes from memes and jokes that circulate online but then escalate quite quickly.
He says: ‘The key moment is when you communicate hostility to another person, and quite often you’ve done it by using something that may not actually be true and you’re putting it out there because it damages that person or that group’s reputation.’
The series marks Zara’s latest string in her documentary bow after pivoting to presenting.
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.
The ex Love Island and Made in Chelsea star, who is 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.
Announcing herself as a government adviser, 21-year-old Zara set pulses racing when she entered Love Island, the same year that Dani Dyer appeared in 2018.
And in her latest documentary, Zara will look into just what a perpetrator of online abuse looks like – as it’s revealed almost one in four adults in the UK have experience trolling
Having experience her fair share of online abuse, Zara’s documentary will see her discover that the people who have been abusing her are regular people including nurses, teachers, or parents with children
Zara was just 21 when she entered the Mallorcan Love Island villa
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. She later went on to appear on Made In Chelsea with Sam.
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’.
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.
Zara is still dating Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, with whom she has starred alongside on the E4 show
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.
Following on from the release of her documentary, the star’s career saw 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.
And in May 2023, she was again by the Princess of Wales’ side as they visited a Bath community centre being supported by Dame Kelly Holme’s charity.
Zara is signed up as one of the Shaping Us campaign champions – Kate’s initiative to promote the importance of early years development.
