Georgia Steel has opened up about the “trauma” of finding out she was dating a “convicted fraudster”.
Back in 2019, the Love Island star was left devastated after she discovered her beau Medi Abalimba’s criminal past.
Speaking on the Secure The Insecure podcast, the 23-year-old said: “I had no idea he was a convicted fraudster.”
“It was definitely a traumatic experience, but I shine a light on it now and I think, I’ve healed from it.”
“I actually think it’s a way of shining a light for other young men and women. You never think it’s going to be you. You don’t have to be silly, you don’t have to be naive,” she said.
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“I can imagine a lot of people think ‘oh she’s so naive’. No, these people are professionals and it was wrong place, wrong time. I found out within a month or so.”
“It was very traumatic and an experience I’ll never forget, that’s for sure.”
Georgia, who shot to fame on Love Island in 2018, enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Medi after meeting at a nightclub.
But the reality star dumped her beau in 2019 after The Sun revealed his previous convictions.
Medi admitted to 12 counts of fraud and dishonesty at Manchester Crown Court in 2014, after he posed as former Chelsea footballer Gael Kakuta in order to fund a lavish lifestyle.
He would reportedly call venues in advance pretending to be the footballer’s agent, and used stolen credit card details to rack up massive bar tabs.
It’s also believed Medi racked up a £12,000 bill at three luxury hotels in London, £11,000 on limousines, and on one occasion he splurged £1,100 to take four girls from Manchester on a tour over London in a helicopter.
Medi was eventually arrested after he was caught trying to buy clothes worth over £20,000 from Selfridge’s.
When contacted by the The Sun at the time, Medi insisted he was a changed man.
He said: “I want to get on with my life. The last time I was convicted was in 2014. Most people who go to prison are in and out all the time.”
“I’ve turned my back on all that. In prison I wrote to people I’d lied to and apologising. I made some bad decisions at a young age. I just want a second chance.”
However, Medi was jailed once again this year after admitting to 15 counts of fraud between 1 January 2021 and 1 March 2021.
The 32-year-old was sentenced to 50 months in prison after a court heard how he fraudulently payed for luxury stays at five-star hotels under fake identities.
