Nathan Massey Slams High Taxes After Love Island Fame Fades
- Nathan Massey returned to carpentry due to financial strain despite winning Love Island.
- He criticized high taxes and VAT in a viral Instagram rant.
- Fans related to his struggles with the cost-of-living crisis.
- Cara De La Hoyde previously closed a business with significant debt.
Reality TV fame isn’t always a golden ticket to lifelong luxury. Nathan Massey, the 2016 Love Island winner, recently shocked fans by revealing he’s gone back to his pre-fame job as a carpenter—and he’s not happy about the financial struggles that forced the move.
In a candid Instagram rant, the 33-year-old star vented about high taxes, rising costs, and the harsh reality of life after reality TV. His raw honesty struck a chord with fans facing similar pressures in today’s economy.
Nathan didn’t hold back in his social media outburst, posting a video after a sobering meeting with his accountant. The clip, which quickly went viral, captured his frustration over the financial strain on working families.
“Rant alert � …. We are all really getting our pants pulled down 😮💨😮💨 and all I can do is laugh … worrying times 🤦🏻♂️”
Sitting on his sofa, the father of two elaborated:
“It’s just hit me how much tax that we are paying. Like, don’t get me wrong, we do okay, we’re not multi-millionaires by any stretch of the imagination, I wish I was but we’re not, we do OK.”
He explained that despite his influencer income, he’s had to return to carpentry to make ends meet:
“I’m back on the tools, I work on the tools when I can, when we’re not doing our bits on social media etcetera, and it’s just hit me how much we are getting taxed, and the VAT and everything we’ve got to pay is worrying.”
Nathan’s closing remark resonated deeply with viewers:
“Genuinely, how is anyone in this day and age supposed to get ahead of the game? It’s like, catch up, catch up, catch up. You know, it’s really a dark time in our history. I think it’s wowed me, I’m not gonna lie.”
The post sparked a flood of responses from followers who related to his financial frustrations. Many echoed his concerns about taxation and living costs:
“Me and my husband bring in way above minimum wage and after all of our bills we are living pay cheque to pay cheque. Every time I try to save something crops up. I feel like a right failure sometimes.”
Others criticized the system:
“It’s ridiculous now – it doesn’t encourage people to work!”
From Reality TV Glory to Financial Reality“I’m pretty sure after the amount of tax, corporation tax and VAT we pay, people that don’t work are better off 🫣 our whole system is backwards.”
Nathan and his wife, Cara De La Hoyde, won Love Island in 2016, taking home £50,000 and landing brand deals. However, their post-show journey hasn’t been smooth.
Cara recently shut down a business with £90,000 in debt, including £25,000 owed in taxes 5. The couple still runs their joint venture, Delamassey, but Nathan’s return to carpentry highlights the fleeting nature of influencer income.
His story mirrors that of other Islanders who struggled after the spotlight faded. Montana Brown, a fellow contestant, noted:
“Some people think, ‘I’m going to be famous, I’m never going to need to work again.’ But for a lot of people, that’s not the case.”
Also Read: Ekin-Su Buys £1M Essex Home After Love Island Success
Last Updated on August 12, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
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