Inside pregnant Paige Thorne’s transformation into ‘trad wife’ after ‘mean girl’ and ‘toxic’ dieting backlash

WHILE she’s not the only Love Islander to have reinvented herself, pregnant Paige Thorne’s transformation is perhaps one of the most shocking. Her latest primed and well-polished persona has slowly emerged over the last few months leaving fans baffled after her somewhat rocky social media past. Love Island Paige Thorne has shocked fans with her ‘trad wife’ transformation Credit: Paige Thorne TikTok The star is expecting her first child with boyfriend Drew Credit: Instagram Paige Thorne‘s public perception was far from perfect, but after a series of eye-brow raising scandals she seems to have mastered the art of flying under the radar. Whether she’s pulling a goat’s cheese omelette out of the oven or sharing the recipe for a camera-ready tray of homemade donuts – Paige has become somewhat of a British Nara Smith. Sign up for the Love Island newsletter Thank you! Her newest videos on social media scream “trad wife” say fans as she gets all glammed up to cook dinner. Paige has been churning out wholesome vlogs with her boyfriend, Drew Wedlake, pregnancy content and the inside scoop on her aesthetic wellness routine. Read more on Paige Thorne The influencer has been wowing fans with her glamorous cooking videos Credit: Paige Thorne TikTok Paige has been vlogging over on TikTok with her boyfriend Drew Credit: Paige Thorne TikTok “You’ve changed so much, it’s giving trad wife energy,” penned one fan. A trad wife, slang for traditional wife, is a woman who embraces the 50s ideology of the housewife role. They typically stay home cooking, baking from scratch, cleaning and looking after the kids, while her husband goes to work as the sole breadwinner. Former Love Islander Paige does of course have her own blossoming career as an influencer – but fans can’t help but spot resemblances. Most read in TV The 28-year-old’s metamorphosis comes after navigating backlash over altering her image. Upon leaving the famous summer dating show, Paige was branded a “mean girl” by viewers. And, she did little to help change their tune as Welsh-born Paige later came under fire after boasting online about her dangerous “punisher day.” The influencer declared to fans back in 2024 that she would be “punishing” herself after failing to exercise or eat healthily for just “three or four days”. Paige explained that she’s be doing a whopping two-hour cardio session, including a 5km run. Love Island’s Paige was slammed by fans after she promoted a dangerous ‘punisher day’ on TikTok Credit: TikTok / @paigethorne8 The 28-year-old made her debut on the summer dating show Love Island back in 2022 Credit: Rex She received a slew of backlash for her comments, which left fans saying she was “toxic.” At the time, one angry TikTok user fumed: “Punisher day? Let’s stop with that toxic behaviour please! You don’t need to punish yourself for living your life.” Another added: “‘Punisher day’? Girl…do better. As someone who’s recovered from binge disorder seeing s*** like this is exhausting. It’s so damaging!!!” Just last year, fans also accused Paige of sending a “toxic message to girls” after she revealed she’d gained six pounds in her new relationship. Paige went public with Drew over the summer last year and admitted she’d “let herself go” since they started dating. “When he got me… I had not an ounce of body fat on me,” she said. Fast forward to now and Paige’s evolution into a “trad wife” type is a “smart move” and has “naturally changed the conversation” away from her chequered past. “Paige’s transformation comes at a time when influencer culture is shifting away from perfection and towards authenticity. After years of heavily curated content, cosmetic enhancements and online scrutiny, audiences are gravitating towards creators who feel more relatable,” says Lynn Carratt, entertainment and PR expert. “The ‘trad wife’ aesthetic taps into that desire for comfort, stability and a slower, more wholesome lifestyle.” PR expert Lynn feels pregnancy can often be a catalyst for this kind of rebrand as it gives influencers a genuine new chapter to share. Paige announced her pregnancy back in March and is due to welcome her baby boy in September. Lynn said: “Followers become invested in home life, nesting, relationships and motherhood, creating a much deeper emotional connection than beauty or fashion content alone. We previously saw Megan McKenna make this transition very successfully.” Paige Thorne and Drew Wedlock announced they were expecting back in March Credit: Instagram/Paigethornex Megan McKenna now spends her days filming cooking content with her baby boy after ditching her fiery persona Credit: Tiktok The Only Way Is Essex star Megan was known for her explosive temper, body-shaming scandal and furious argument on Celeb Big Brother that left fans claiming she used “racist” language. Megan has since pivoted her persona and is a bestselling author, food content creator, singer and mumfluencer. “For Paige it’s an especially smart move because it naturally changes the conversation. Rather than being defined by previous headlines around criticism of her dieting and appearance, she’s introducing a new narrative centred on family, motherhood and personal growth,” said Lynn. “It’s a far more positive story for audiences to engage with. “The rise of the ‘trad wife’ trend isn’t necessarily about women rejecting careers or independence. For many influencers it’s a strategic evolution of their personal brand.” She added: “Family, home and lifestyle content consistently performs well because it’s aspirational while still feeling achievable. It also opens the door to long-term partnerships with parenting, interiors, food and lifestyle brands, making it both an emotional and commercial rebrand. The Sun has reached out to representatives for Paige for comment. Comment now