Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu has shared a statement addressing her absence from the Celebrity Big Brother live final.
The Love Island 2022 winner was the fourth person evicted from the rebooted celebrity surveillance series.
After receiving a mixed reception from the audience outside the house, Ekin-Su then clashed with actor Layton Williams on the companion show Late & Live and received a grilling about her conduct in the house from hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best.
Though evicted housemates tend to return to Late & Live in the days following their eviction to comment on daily gossip from the main show, Ekin-Su did not reappear. She also declined to show up for the live final on Friday (22 March), which saw Ibiza Weekender star David Potts beat Strictly Come Dancing professional Nikita Kuzmin to the win.
In a statement posted on her Instagram Stories on Saturday (23 March), the Turkish soap actor and reality star explained her absence as being about setting a personal boundary and avoiding a “potentially uncomfortable situation”.
“I know it’s unlike me to hide away, but I’ve been taking some time to reflect,” she began her message. “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.”
She continued: “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.
“Accountability is key and when I’m ready, I will give some context around these past few weeks.”
Ekin-Su rounded off her post by thanking “everybody who has sent kindness my way” and teasing that “new chapter starts now”.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
“I hope everybody enjoyed watching the CBB final. A huge congratulations to David for the win,” she concluded, adding “Xx” and a red emoji heart.
The Independent has reached out to a representative of Ekin-Su for further comment.
In a message of support for Ekin-Su earlier this week, The Real Housewives of Cheshire cast member and fellow CBB evictee Lauren Simon described her experience of being on Late & Live as “torturous”.