u/Impressive_Rate_2456

I’m surprised no one has mentioned this, but I specifically remember Alix saying a couple of years ago that her boob job was partly paid for by her grandparents. So, I was a bit surprised watching her reality show when her dad told this elaborate story about how he paid for half of her breast augmentation (gave her one orange for Christmas) and framed the whole thing as a great business decision on his part.
The only part that seems to line up with what Alix previously said is that half of the surgery was paid for by someone else and Alix covered the rest herself.

It feels like the show is really trying to position TJ as this savvy, no-nonsense Kris Jenner-style manager, which is why I believe they embellished the story to fit that narrative. He may have good business acumen from his construction business (which he inherited), but that doesn’t automatically mean those skills translate into successfully managing an influencer.

I’ve been sitting on this opinion for a while because Shakira has a very loyal fanbase, but since the launch of the Love Island Debrief, I’ve noticed more and more people expressing similar sentiments online.

One of the biggest frustrations for me is the way she constantly interrupts Yasmin and Toni, whether it’s on the Debrief or any podcast where they appear as a trio. A recent example was their appearance on Joe Baggs’ podcast. Joe asked Yasmin about Ben calling her “irrelevant” on Instagram, before Yasmin could even answer, Shakira jumped in and turned the conversation towards her own relationship with Ben. Yasmin didn’t get the chance to respond to a question that was directed at her.

Then there’s the constant impressions and voices she does on the podcast. I’ve heard her imitate Emily and Aidan’s accent (there may be others, but I stopped listening) - at one point, Toni even prompted her to “do the voice” when talking about Emily, and honestly, it came across as schoolyard ridiculing. If a former islander publicly imitated Shakira’s Northern accent, I’m sure she’d be the first to label it as classist.

Last year, I was firmly on Shakira’s side when it came to the Meg, Helena, and Dejon drama. As a South Asian, I could clearly see some of the microaggressions directed towards her, and I applaud her for shedding light to it after the show. However, I find it difficult to understand why she continues to revisit last year’s drama, while seemingly giving Harry a pass for his behaviour. Earlier this year, Harry appeared on Tyrique’s stream and openly admitted he did what he did because it made good TV - he gloated and doubled down rather than taking any accountability. Yet, Shakira appears far more willing to criticise the other islanders from the last series than hold Harry to the same standard. Same story with Harrison, she appears to be friendly with him, and is occasionally seen spending time with him, but doesn’t seem to hold him to account for any of his actions like she does with Meg, Helena, and Dejon.

Another thing that has stood out to me is how much her position seems to have shifted since becoming more closely associated with ITV. A few months ago, she posted a video arguing that Love Island is heavily edited (seemingly as a defence of Harry). While it’s true that viewers don’t see everything, I find it hard to believe editors were somehow manufacturing Harry’s behaviour through editing, especially when he has since admitted he acted the way he did intentionally for entertainment.

Since joining ITV’s orbit, I’ve noticed her defending the show and production more frequently. There were her comments about diversity on the show, which, whether they reflected her genuine views or not, came across quite dismissively given how sensitive the topic is. Then on the Joe Baggs podcast she again referenced things production couldn’t show, seemingly pushing back against criticism of the programme.

Ultimately, I think Shakira’s biggest issue right now is overexposure. She’s become one of the breakout stars from last series, but sometimes it feels like she’s trying to dominate every conversation rather than read the room. I can see an expiration date for “The Big Three” on the horizon.