'Zayn fans threaten to kill me every day,' says rumoured past fling and reality star

Lauren Richardson is one of the contestants for this year's ITV2 reality show, Love Island (ITV/PA)

Independent.ie Newsdesk

Lauren Richardson, the blond who was pictured getting close with former One Direction star Zayn Malik, has spoken out about the abuse she has received since the controversy.

The 26-year-old told the Irish Daily Star that she suffers paranoia when she goes out in public because she is so afraid of the singer's die hard fans.

"There were death threats and people saying I'm a homewrecker and 'I want to find you,'" she revealed.

"Fans were saying to me 'It's your fault, we are gonna get you' and 'we hate you'" after Zayn made the shock decision to quit the British boyband that turned him into a world wide celebrity.

Lauren Richardson is one of the contestants for this year's ITV2 reality show, Love Island (ITV/PA)

The blond said in the few short months since the pictures of her and Zayn (22) partying together in a nightclub in Thailand went viral, she has feared for her life.

Lauren is now hoping to win audiences over on Love Island, which launches on Sunday at 9pm on ITV2.

Zayn and his fiancee Perri

Caroline Flack will host the new reality show.