Gabby Allen, the Love Island All Stars winner and fitness influencer, posted Instagram photos showing her fitness progress and invoked a Theodore Roosevelt quote as she discussed the effort behind her results.
In a post shared on Sunday, Allen — 33 — posted a mirror selfie in butter-yellow lingerie alongside a beach photo from three years earlier. Under the images she quoted Roosevelt: "Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty," and wrote that the line applied to what she called "glute gains."
Allen used the captions to describe a shift in her training and nutrition over the past three years. She said she moved away from daily HIIT sessions and light weights aimed at "toning" toward strength training, studying nutrition and building habits aligned with new goals. She wrote that the change brought increased confidence in the gym and physical results, including what she described as "extra inches and 160kg hip thrusts."
She detailed becoming comfortable with weightroom equipment, embracing delayed onset muscle soreness known as DOMS and overcoming self-consciousness about exercises such as hip thrusts. Allen added that strength training had benefits beyond appearance, saying it had improved her mental resilience.
Allen also addressed public reaction to her physique in the post, referencing critics who called her look "too much" or "too manly," and wrote that she could likely "squat more than your husband's." She said consistency, patience and attention to nutrition were central to her progress.
Allen gained wider public attention after winning the Love Island All Stars series with Casey O'Gorman, 28, in February. The couple claimed the show's £50,000 prize but announced their split three months later, saying they were at different stages in their lives.
On an appearance on Love Island Aftersun in June, Allen was asked about the breakup. She gave a brief response and declined to go into detail. Fellow contestant Kaz Crossley, appearing on the show, criticized O'Gorman's conduct, calling him "a boy" and suggesting he lacked the depth suitable for a longer-term partnership.
Allen has worked as a personal trainer and fitness influencer, and frequently posts training updates and lifestyle content on social media. Her latest post combined images and commentary to outline the evolution of her approach to fitness, describing a move from cardio-focused workouts to a regime centered on progressive strength work and nutrition study.
The Instagram post drew attention for its juxtaposition of a historic presidential quote with fitness-focused commentary and for its candid depiction of Allen's training routine and physique. Allen did not indicate any plans to compete in a formal fitness competition, but wrote that being asked whether she competed was a "compliment" because it suggested she looked "strong and capable."