Megan Barton-Hanson: ‘People Think I’m Sex-Obsessed And Don’t Care Who I Hurt, This Will Prove Them Wrong’

‘Because of my sex work and OnlyFans, people see me as one dimensional. They think I’m this sex-obsessed person, that I’ll go for what she want and don’t care who I hurts in the process person but I’m a much more nuanced human being than that.’

You may know Megan Barton-Hanson best as a contestant on Love Island, she was adored and admonished in equal measure after being cast as the shows strong-willed glamourpuss. Her ability to have men falling over her with a wide-eyed blink became her defining characteristic on the show - her thoughtfulness, humour and kind nature eradicated from her personality. When it was leaked that she had a history as a sex worker then, her status was all but sealed in the eyes of the public.

Since leaving the show, Megan has taken the publics obsession with her sex life and directed it towards activism – namely, efforts to remove the stigma of sex work. An ambassador for sex-toy brand Lelo, women empowerment has become Megan's raison d'être, particularly focusing on helping women prioritise themselves and their happiness. It makes sense then that that’s the focus of her new podcast, You Come First.

‘Megan Barton-Hanson is here to tell you everything you need to know when it comes to putting yourself first,’ the podcast blurb reads. ‘Whether this be in a relationship, in the bedroom, your career or your mental health, Megan has called in her guests from around the world for in an intimate, unfiltered conversation that will change your life forever.’

Her guest interviews may still be under wraps, but having had a sneak peek at the podcast we can tell you, you won’t be disappointed. Neither will the tabloids, it seems, as Megan admits she overshares a lot on the podcast.

‘It’s actually really hard for me not to go deep into my personal life, I’m such an open and honest person sometimes I say things during a recording and then think “Oh my god, did I really want the whole world to know that?”’ she tells me over the phone from her Essex home. From the memories of her work in the sex industry and the ‘reality of reality TV’, Megan is set to go deep into what her followers are surely dying to know.

In fact, she says her favourite episode was where she got to reminisce about her life as a stripper. ‘I had a friend I used to glamour model with on one episode that I loved,’ she says. ‘She’s a stripper so that was a such a fun episode for me, self-indulgently, reliving all the stripper memories and sharing stories.’

But actually, while sharing the salacious stories from her past is part and parcel of her podcast, she’s not hoping to make ‘too many outrageous headlines’. In actual fact, she just wants people to get to know her true personality.

‘I really wanted to do the podcast because I felt like it's an outlet where I can speak freely and my words can’t be taken out of context like they can in interviews,’ she explains. ‘I get to show the real me, the most authentic me, as opposed to edited down on a TV show.’

‘I’ve never watched Love Island back for that reason’ she continues. ‘Obviously they have a TV show make so you’re cast to a certain character. I was the strong, female empowerment figure going for what I wanted.’

That idea, that she’s someone who goes for what she wants and doesn’t care who she hurts, is the exact stereotype Megan has fallen foul to that she wants to escape. Plus, since she restarted her OnlyFans she says ‘that’s all people know you far’. Essentially, she wants people to see she’s not all sex and glamour.

‘That’s part of my personality, but I’m so much more than that and I think it would be good for people to see the softer, more human side of me,’ she explains. ‘I get emotional on the podcast, I talk about mental health, sexuality, everything. I learned as well with the listeners. I was educated on the podcast on topics I didn’t know much about but wanted to learn so I think people will get to see me in a different way. It will be emotional, funny and a little bit educational.

That’s also why she doesn’t mind oversharing. ‘I think it’s good I feel safe enough and my words can’t be taken out of context, like this is me, it’s raw. This is how I talk to my close friends and family.’

One of the more educational episodes she points to is when she interviewed two transgender women about their experience transitioning.

‘I had met one of them in 2019 and she showed me some of the feminisation surgeries that she’d had and her journey, the trolling she’d faced throughout her transition,’ Megan explains. ‘When I met her, I just broke down crying because I can’t imagine what she’s been through. I’ve had trolling on a small scale, just for like little surgeries I’d had so I can't imagine not feeling comfortable in your own body, and then transitioning to your authentic self and being trolled for that.’

While Megan can’t name her guests as of yet, she says that episode ended up being the most powerful one she recorded. ‘I don’t think [trans issues] are talked about enough in the LGBTQ+ community,’ she says. ‘I can only imagine how many other people are transitioning or thinking about it and need to hear an episode like that, it answered so many questions that I hope will help people in the process or thinking of transitioning.’

With eight episodes of You Come First recorded and more to come, it’s clear Megan is on a mission to educate and entertain her audience with her new passion project. And while it helps give an insight into her real personality, Megan also hopes it will inspire other influencers like her to be true to themselves.

‘There are too many people with big platforms who have come off reality shows and are afraid to speak their truth in case of judgement or if it impacts a brand deal,’ she says. ‘For me, my biggest focus coming off the show is using my platform for women empowerment and to speak openly about topics I genuinely believe in.’

Well, with the first episode of You Come First out today, we can’t wait to hear her do just that.

Megan’s new podcast You Come First launches today in partnership with the interactive podcast app, Entale. Listen to the first episode on the Entale app or wherever else you prefer to get your podcasts.

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