Media personality and Love Island alum Tina Provis got raw and real on Wednesday night’s episode of I’m a Celebrity Australia 2025. She opened up about being bullied for her Asian heritage as a child and revealed how it led to a painful desire to appear “white.”
This season, hosted by the legendary Julia Morris and wildlife icon Robert Irwin, has been full of laughs and hair-raising challenges in the South African jungle. But heartfelt moments like Tina’s remind us of the personal stories behind the public faces of the I’m a Celebrity 2025 cast.
Who is Tina Provis?
Tina is an Asian Australian media personality and digital creator. You probably know her best from her time on Love Island Australia (seasons three and four) and as a competitor on the international spin-off Love Island Games.
Tina actually made history as the first Asian woman to win the Aussie series during season three!
Tina has built a loyal following by sharing her life on socials with her trademark warmth and honesty. Whether it’s dishing on her dating life, sharing her latest culinary ventures, or offering life advice, Tina keeps things refreshingly real.
Tina uses her platform to advocate for meaningful causes, from empowering young women to amplifying voices of people of colour.
Tina gets candid about childhood bullying on I’m a Celebrity
During a heart-to-heart with her campmates Reggie Bird, Dave Hughes, and Matty J, Tina opened up about being bullied as a child for being Asian, and the impact it had on her self-image growing up.
“Boys were so mean,” Tina shared. “If I talked back to anything the thing they would revert to was, ‘Oh, but you’re Asian.’”
When Matty J asked if the bullying made her dislike her heritage, Tina admitted, “Yeah, I grew up just wanting to be like everyone else. I just wanted to be white.”
Speaking directly to the camera later in the Tok Tokkie, Tina reflected: “It’s really sad, when I think about myself in High School, wanting to change my eyes or my hair, or not wanting to associate myself with something I should be really proud of.”
Tina also shared how she developed defense mechanisms.
“It became a thing that I would actually make fun of my race first before anyone else could,” she explained to her campmates.
As she matured, however, Tina found the confidence to set boundaries with friends and express when comments hurt her.
“One day, I was like, ‘that actually makes me really upset when you say that.’”
She added, “It’s taken me some time to kind of reprogram how I think and accept how great it is that we are all unique and we’re all different, and to be better than people that don’t have something good to say about it.”
Well bloody said, Tina!
