Laura Whitmore: ‘Negativity comes with success – look at Olivia Wilde’

Laura Whitmore loves the drama. Actually. She’s simply introduced her exit stage left from Love Island; now the jaunty presenter is taking to the West Finish. We’re discussing how three years of grilling newly minted influencers on reside telly equips you for the stage. “There’s positively the same ability set while you do reside…” – she pauses, raises her eyebrows, says with a flourish – “drama. Drama in every little thing I do!” Recent from crowning Ekin-Su and Davide – christened “mum and pa” by the web for being besotted one minute, bickering the following – as this yr’s champs, Whitmore is treading the boards in 2:22 A Ghost Story, in the identical function that nabbed Lily Allen an Olivier nomination earlier this yr. It was her husband Iain Stirling, he of the “TerrrNIGHTTTT” Love Island voiceovers, who first informed her she’d nail the half. “I used to be like, ‘Whaaaat! There’s no manner I’d keep in mind all these strains’.”

Other than Love Island, Whitmore has been a steadily rising determine on TV and radio for the previous decade, having introduced ITV2’s I’m a Superstar Get Me Out of Right here! sister present from 2011 to 2016, and internet hosting her personal Sunday morning radio present on BBC Radio 5 Dwell from 2018. However for Whitmore, who additionally lately left her 5 Dwell present, it is a time of change. In relation to new alternatives, she’s a proponent of “opening it to the universe that the suitable factor comes round while you need it to, and when you are able to do it”. Alongside performing in 2:22 A Ghost Story, she’s making a real crime podcast with Stirling and placing the ultimate touches to a brand new ITV documentary collection, Laura Whitmore Investigates. Oh, and her ebook, No One Can Change Your Life Besides For You (the title is her life motto, she says) has simply been printed in paperback. “I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t had many days off!” she jokes. However Love Island, which achieved its highest viewing figures for 3 years this summer season, was her most high-profile gig but, and lots of have been stunned when she walked away.

“For me, it was a present that I type of fell into. Not in a manner that I ever would wish to,” she explains. Whitmore took over presenting duties when Caroline Flack stepped down in 2020, after being charged with assault; Whitmore continued within the function after Flack took her personal life in February of that yr. The present had “parameters”, which Whitmore appears to have discovered creatively limiting. “I simply felt like there was solely a lot that you are able to do in a present like that,” she explains. “And likewise the frustration, I suppose, when somebody’s like, ‘Oh, you do 10 minutes on a present’ and I’m like, ‘Do you have got any concept what number of hours that takes?!’” Different tasks have been coming alongside, plus she needed to exit on a excessive. “I really feel like this yr would possibly be probably the greatest years of all time. I don’t know if it might get higher than that!” she laughs. This yr’s success means ITV2 goes huge once more, with an annual double whammy. “I feel now with twice a yr, it type of will take up your entire life. Your entire life to watch it. Are you able to think about engaged on it!”

In an announcement asserting her departure, Whitmore paid tribute to Flack, writing on Instagram: “I used to be solely planning to fill in for Caroline for a collection and it was three collection. I hope I did you proud Caroline.” I ponder if, given the circumstances, Flack was typically on her thoughts as she labored on the present. “Caroline was greater than Love Island,” she says right away. “She beloved that present a lot. And I do know she was at all times an enormous supporter of me doing that present to step in for her.” The pair had been buddies for a very long time, one thing that’s very distinct in her thoughts from the job. “They’re type of two separate issues, personally, if I’m trustworthy with you. And he or she had such an unimaginable profession. And will nonetheless.”

It’s onerous to think about how, within the age of social media, any particular person now copes with internet hosting such a high-profile present. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted: the web opprobrium will be fixed. The panorama has modified considerably since Whitmore began her profession as a presenter on MTV Information. “After I was first began doing MTV, if somebody had a difficulty with you, you didn’t actually find out about it, you’d simply keep on and do your job,” she says. However it’s all over the place. “The extra profitable you might be, you get it extra. I solely get a tiny little bit of it, however you take a look at folks like Olivia Wilde, and other people like that – what she’s received the final week – it appears the extra profitable you get or the extra you do, the extra folks wish to discuss you, the extra they’ll throw negativity your manner.” Folks do appear fascinated with Whitmore’s earnings, although. She made a TikTok correcting a number of the criticisms she acquired on Love Island, together with about her wage. “Folks care so much about how a lot cash I make,” she says – and he or she hasn’t noticed the identical deal with the earnings of her male counterparts. “Even at this time I noticed within the press about how a lot cash I’m apparently making within the West Finish. I’m like, I don’t know in the event that they did that about [previous 2:22 A Ghost Story star] Tom Felton?”

This yr’s Love Island was noteworthy for an additional cause: the collection acquired 1,500 complaints of alleged misogyny, together with the perceived “bullying” by male contestants in the direction of Tasha Ghouri, who was repeatedly singled out in a sport of Snog, Marry, Pie. However a number of the complaints are amusingly petty, Whitmore explains: “I received a criticism as a result of I’m so egocentric, I make the entire present about me as a result of I stroll so gradual. Somebody really wrote in! I stroll regular tempo. They gradual it down!” Some issues, she says, you simply should take with a pinch of salt. “It’s an leisure present. So I feel in the event you’re utilizing Love Island as being precisely what actual life is, then you definitely’re in hassle.” (Ofcom dominated that the “bullying” behaviour was “not proven in a constructive mild” and didn’t pursue the complaints.)

The present, although, has comprehensively overhauled its responsibility of care and aftercare protocols after receiving criticism, significantly after former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis took their very own lives. Whitmore wasn’t part of the conversations about these very critical points – understandably, they fall underneath the purview of the producers quite than the presenter. “I do know they’ve upped the responsibility of care. I feel they’ll proceed to work on it, personally. And I feel they’ll.”

The present will also be a drive for good; she mentions a buddy who informed her the present impressed helpful conversations along with her 13-year-old daughter. “In case you have younger folks watching the present, perhaps use it as an opportunity to go: do you see that? Do you agree with that? What do you suppose went unsuitable there? So I feel it’s essential perhaps to have these conversations, but in addition Love Island shouldn’t be elevating your youngsters.” As for the Islanders who go in with a suitcase and are available out to gazillions of latest followers and a modified life, we should always go simpler on them: “You neglect how younger they’re in there. Some folks go in there and are available out and go, ‘F***, I used to be a dick. I’m sorry’. And that’s OK! We’re allowed to make errors. We’re human. That’s all proper.”

I wish to continually push myself and problem myself

Laura Whitmore

Whitmore has the type of springy, healthful enthusiasm that solely presenters of widespread reside TV reveals appear to own. She’s talking to me on the finish of a protracted day of rehearsals, Zooming from a seemingly windowless room. “You’ll be able to in all probability collect… this isn’t house.” She’s emphatic and energetic; even when she’s leaning on an elbow to prop herself up, star tattoo displaying on her wrist, it’s as if she may leap to her toes and do a reside hyperlink on the drop of a hat. However crack open that zippy, vibrant carapace and also you’ll discover an iron focus that explains her success. “I simply wish to get higher at what I do. If I did the identical factor daily, I’m by no means gonna get higher. And I simply wish to continually push myself and problem myself.”

The general public doesn’t know her as an actor, and he or she “positively” feels the strain that added scrutiny inevitably brings. “I feel, generally throughout the theatre world, [or] even simply as a theatregoer, there will be snobbery,” she says. However performing has been in her life for a while. She was a scholar on the Leinster College of Music and Drama within the Republic of Eire and took a course at Rada in London; later, she carried out reverse Shane Richie in a 2017 stage adaptation of Peter James’s novel Not Useless Sufficient. In 2020, she wrote and starred in her first brief movie, Sadhbh, a few struggling younger mom, and he or she received an performing agent earlier this yr.

Now that she’s free from sending lovelorn kids on Jet2 flights again to Stansted, she will be able to begin to unfold her wings. Theatre has at all times been “a love, a ardour”, she explains. “I imply, the West Finish is kiiind of the dream, isn’t it?” Whitmore, 37, grew up in County Wicklow and says she first received into drama as a result of “consider it or not, I used to be shy and quiet rising up, and my mum was frightened about how quiet I used to be”. She studied journalism at college and joined the drama group as a manner of attending to know folks, happening to play Antigone and – not desirous to jinx something – what she describes as “Girl M within the Scottish play”.

Danny Robins’ 2:22 is now on its fourth forged and looking out like a agency fixture of the West Finish scene. It’s a few younger couple who’ve simply had a child and purchased a doer-upper, earlier than issues begin to get creepy – each night time at 2:22am, Whitmore’s character Jenny hears unusual goings on, which her husband dismisses. The present has been a smash since opening final yr; it’s the type of unadulterated, scary enjoyable that appears like a college journey for adults (plus gin). “I’ve had my cousin go, ‘Can I come?’ And I’m like nicely, no, you’re 5,” Whitmore says, droll.

Like Jenny, Whitmore is a brand new mom; she and Stirling’s daughter was born in March final yr. However given the subject material, it feels a bit foolish to ask if Whitmore pertains to the character greater than that. “I’m being haunted by ghosts!” she jokes, earlier than including that all the forged have youngsters of their very own and are bringing their very own experiences to it. “There’s this juxtaposition of concern that Jenny has, that her home is being haunted, but in addition she’s making an attempt to be sturdy for her youngster. The necessity to shield, not desirous to appear to be this loopy, overtired mum, but in addition wanting to talk her reality.” The administrators Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr have inspired her to make the half her personal, partially by incorporating her Irish background. “It’s been pretty to mess around with that. I say that earlier than I’ve even stood on the stage. So god is aware of what’s going to occur after I’m onstage.”

Whitmore is now up and operating on the theatre – after the primary preview this week, she posted on Instagram that it was “probably the greatest experiences of my life!!!” – and he or she’s eager to maintain performing. But in addition… she’ll go together with it. She returns to that philosophy of proper issues, proper time. “The universe simply generally throws issues at ya.” We’ll see her documentary collection, during which she’ll discover intercourse, energy and the web, earlier than the tip of the yr; she’ll have every week off from the play in October to fly out to America and end it. So is she going Louis Theroux on us? “Nobody will be Louis Theroux, besides Louis Theroux! I don’t rap in addition to him,” she jokes. “I’m simply gonna be Laura. Laura Whitmore.” After which she sounds critical – and glad. “It’s pushing me, which is what I would like. After I get to the stage of doing the identical factor, and I can’t actually push myself, or I’m not allowed to push myself any additional… then I’ve to vary issues up.”

‘2:22 A Ghost Story’ is on the Criterion Theatre, London, till 8 January 2023