Ekin‑Su Cülcüloğlu has been announced as a cast member of Inside: USA, the U.S. version of a reality format created by British YouTube collective the Sidemen, which is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Sept. 21.
The 31‑year‑old, who rose to fame on Love Island and was evicted from Celebrity Big Brother in March 2024, told podcast host Jamie Laing earlier this year that she hit "rock bottom" after facing intense online abuse following her television appearances. She said the backlash included death threats and left her struggling with her mental health before she sought help from a therapist.
On the Great Company podcast, Cülcüloğlu described a period after breaking up with her Love Island partner Davide Sanclimenti during which she felt "worthless" and later entered the Celebrity Big Brother house at a low point. She told Laing that, after returning from the Big Brother series, she faced "a lot of hate and death threats," and recounted episodes of prolonged crying and dissociation. A friend urged her to seek therapy, and she said sessions helped her begin to recover and encouraged her to be candid publicly about her experiences.
Inside: USA will gather internet personalities, streamers and celebrities under one roof, with constant filming and a competitive structure that requires contestants to cooperate on challenges to protect a shared prize fund. The format, adapted from the Sidemen's original concept, introduces costs for basic necessities and tasks designed to push contestants and create strategic tensions, distinguishing it from shows that focus solely on confinement and surveillance.
Producers have said the cast will include U.S. reality television and online figures alongside Cülcüloğlu. Named participants include Selling Sunset star Breana "Bre" Tiesi and creators and streamers such as Sketch, Jay Cinco, Sydney Thomas and Max Fosh. Cülcüloğlu has previously appeared on the American edition of Traitors and will join the Inside: USA series after her spring 2024 exit from Celebrity Big Brother, where fellow housemates had accused her of being inauthentic and performing for the camera.
Cülcüloğlu attributed part of her recovery to therapy, saying a therapist advised a period of self‑care and urged her to speak the truth about her experiences to relieve anxiety. She told Laing that acknowledging the truth "felt like a weight off my shoulders," and that it took time to move past the low points. She also described the industry perception that success equates to emotional well‑being as misleading, saying, "we're all human."
Netflix and the series' producers declined to comment beyond the cast announcement. Inside: USA follows a trend of streaming platforms adapting high‑profile international reality formats and pairing them with social media personalities to attract global audiences. The series will be available to Netflix subscribers on Sept. 21.