Love Island’s Nat opens up about rejection, ADHD and the shocking love square testing her connection with Jack

Life in the Love Island villa is an emotional rollercoaster, but Natalie believes her ADHD has made the experience even harder. Diagnosed as an adult, the 23-year-old Gold Coast airline ground crew member says rejection can hit particularly hard in an environment where emotions already run high.

“Rejection in any sense can feel like physical pain – it’s known as Rejection Sensitivity Disorder,” Nat tells TV WEEK of the emotional response frequently experienced by those with ADHD.

“Being in an environment that’s already heightened for your emotions and having someone you are connecting with actively pursue someone else in front of you and you still have to live with them, sleep in a room with them and not let it get to you, is nearly impossible.”

Coupled up with Jack, Nat’s already rocky connection is tested further this week as their love triangle with bombshell Sammi turns into a shocking love square with another Islander.

“I need to be told black and white how Jack was talking to Sammi, so I think any drama could have been avoided if she had told me exactly what was going on,” Nat explains. “My delivery comes across quite strong and harsh, which I need to work on. I just wanted to know: ‘Am I being played?’”

Nat also wants viewers to understand that there’s more to her connection with Jack than what’s made it to air. The pair had spoken for three weeks before entering the villa, through phone calls and messages rather than just a few social media DMs. She feels some of their more open conversations, showing how well they were getting along, haven’t made the cut.

“We already had that level of comfort, so we progressed quicker than the other couples,” she explains. “On Stan’s Love Island Australia: Unseen. Uncut you will see conversations of us both saying we are open and that we will just communicate what’s going on. We all got along fine.”

So, can Nat and Jack find their way back to each other? Or will the latest four-sided villa twist prove too much for their connection?

Love Island airs Monday to Thursday at 10am on 9Now and at 8.30pm on the Nine Network.