Laura Anderson speaks out about ageism and being told she is 'too old' by brands

At 29 years old, Laura Anderson was the oldest girl to appear on series 4 of Love Island. Unbeknownst to her whilst in the villa, she also faced cruel rumours that she was actually older than she claimed – to the extent that her dad even got her birth certificate out to prove that she was telling the truth about being 29.

Laura Anderson told she was too old by brands

Laura told The Sun this week:

I just hadn’t experienced ageism before. But on the island it became very apparent that I was the older girl. When I learned that my dad had to get my birth certificate to show I wasn’t lying about my age, it was horrible. After the show people would compare me with the other girls and they would definitely get jobs over me because they were younger.

Former air hostess Laura also revealed that at least one of her favourite fashion brands told her after Love Island that they couldn’t work with her because of her age and admits that she briefly felt ‘ashamed of my appearance and my years on this planet.’

Ageism double standards

Laura also slammed the double standards that women face when ageing compared to men. She said:

When a man is single at a certain age he’s ‘sought-after’ or ‘eligible.’ If he has grey hair and lines, he’s seen as wise and distinguished. Men are said to get better with age but women are pressured to remain eternally youthful.

Now aged 31, Laura is sick of hurtful comments on social media that say she must be ‘desperate’ to get married and settle down because of her age. She said:

It’s the opposite of what I am. I’m independent and I’ve been quite lucky with men. I’ve had lovely relationships. I know my worth and I’m definitely not desperate. I’m pretty happy by myself, thanks very much, and yet people feel sorry for me.