Former civil servant Sharon Gaffka has explained why she didn’t return to the civil service after quitting to go on Love Island, in an interview with CSW’s sister publication PoliticsHome.
Gaffka quit her job as an operations lead at the Department for Transport to go on the dating reality TV series in 2021. During her seven years in the civil service, she worked on issues such as Brexit and Covid.
She was the second civil servant to take part on the show, following in the wake of Zara McDermott, who took part in 2018 while on a 12-month break from her role at the Department for Education.
Speaking to PoliticsHome for its latest Women in Westminster: In Conversation With interview, Gaffka said: “I never went on Love Island for fame. A lot of people say that, but whether it’s true or not varies. I genuinely didn’t. I went on Love Island for a career break. I’d just been through Brexit, Covid, and then Brexit again. I needed a break.”
She added: “I always intended to go back to the civil service after Love Island.”
Gaffka said that, when she left the Love Island villa, she told her dad she’d “take a year to see what this world was like, and if it wasn’t for me, I’d return to the civil service.
“That was our agreement,” she said.
Gaffka never returned to the civil service, instead finding a platform to speak out about issues that affect women and girls, campaigning on issues such as period poverty, the sharing of intimate images without consent, and drink spiking.
“I remember thinking, Love Island churns out a lot of people every year so what could I do with this 12-month publicity window that would have real longevity and impact?” she told PoliticsHome. “I didn’t want to be just another name on a brand deal or the rich list. That’s not what I’ve ever wanted.”
Gaffka also set out how her upbringing influenced her career path.
“I don’t think I really had a choice not to be political,” she said. “In my mum’s home country of Indonesia, democracy came quite late. The right to vote, police brutality – there are a lot of issues. So I was political, even without knowing it.”
McDermott has similarly spoken about wanting to return to the civil service but has instead gone on to campaign on issues such as ending violence against women and girls, and changing the law for victims of digital abuse, as well as presenting BBC documentaries on issues such as revenge porn and eating disorders.
Women in Westminster: In Conversation With is a series of interviews for PoliticsHome, and sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. The interviews showcase members of The 100, an annual celebration of the achievements and the valuable role women play in public life by recognising one hundred women from across the world of Westminster. Read the full interview with Sharon Gaffka