It was just another ordinary November morning for Lilly Sabri... until she looked at her phone.
The was bombarded with messages (she estimates in the thousands) from friends, family and strangers, all letting her know that her fiancé had cheated on his stag do.
The 35-year-old, who boasts over six million and founded a million-pound health company named Lean, was accustomed to receiving thousands of direct messages daily about her and healthy recipes.
But November 9 in 2023 was completely different.
While she was sleeping, a released a new episode about a man who supposedly cheated on his well-known fiancé.
The hosts of The Girls Bathroom, Sophia Tuxford and Cinzia Baylis Zullo, allegedly dropped enough hints to suggest that it was Lilly’s relationship they were talking about.
They discussed the couple’s dog, their , their recent engagement and even alluded to Lilly’s business ventures.
With the podcast attracting millions of listeners per episode, speculation about the couple’s identity spread like wildfire across .
“I didn’t know what had happened,”;; Lilly told the Mail. “I opened Instagram, and there were thousands and thousands of messages with a link to a podcast.
“People were alluding that something had happened, but I had to hear it for myself.
“Everything I knew and trusted felt like it had exploded.
“I was in disbelief. It felt like I was in a reality TV show, but it was my own life, and I had zero control over it. I hadn’t asked for this.”;;
The physiotherapist-turned-influencer watched the episode 10 times that day, trying to process the shocking news.
Two weeks later, after widespread speculation , Lilly released a statement confirming the rumours were true – Sophia and Cinzia had indeed been discussing her fiancé.
She wrote on : “On Thursday 9th November, I woke up to messages about a podcast episode discussing a relationship involving a newly engaged man, meeting a woman on his stag do, and subsequent encounters.
“It’s heartbreaking to confirm this is true, and discovering it in this way has been devastating.”;;
In the aftermath, Lilly took a hiatus from social media, despite building her entire career online and posting multiple times a day.
“I just wanted to disappear. I couldn’t get away from it,”;; she recalled.
“I literally couldn’t look in the mirror for about nine months afterwards because I was picking myself apart.
“What happened affected my family too.
I literally couldn’t look in the mirror for about nine months afterwards because I was picking myself apart
Lilly Sabri
“Millions of people found out about my personal life before I did.
“It’s humiliating. It was so humiliating for me.”;;
After posting the statement, Lilly checked her social media to see if the podcast hosts had reached out to apologise, but they never did.
A year and a half later, she still hasn’t “heard anything”;; from them.
The emotional toll of the experience meant Lilly’s physical and mental health took a significant hit, and she’s had to pull herself out of some “dark places”;; over the last 18 months.
I was in disbelief. It felt like I was in a reality TV show, but it was my own life, and I had zero control over it. I hadn’t asked for this
Lilly Sabri
“It’s obviously been a long time, a difficult time, but through that period, I’ve learned a lot, and I feel like I’m in a good place now,”;; she said.
“Mentally, I wasn’t in a place to show up on social media, and that eventually affected my physical health as well. I needed to prioritise my mental health.
“If you’d asked me a year ago, I wouldn’t have said I’d be able to do this right now.
“But finally, I feel ready.”;;
Mentally, I wasn’t in a place to show up on social media, and that eventually affected my physical health as well. I needed to prioritise my mental health
Lilly Sabri
Lilly, a qualified physiotherapist and Pilates instructor, has an impressive CV that includes the NHS and Watford Football Club, before she fully transitioned to social media.
In 2021, she brought her ‘Lean’ method to the forefront with the launch of a fitness app and a range of nutritional products under the same name.
Today, Lilly is the sole shareholder of her health brand, Lean, and she plans to integrate the mental health strategies she’s learned into the business going forward.
“Without everything that happened, I wouldn’t be here right now,”;; she said. “I wouldn’t have gotten through it. I can’t tell you how much it saved me.
“This is a huge part of my new purpose. It’s wellness, it’s mental health, it’s helping people.
“Whether it’s a mental health crisis, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling overwhelmed, I want to help people with the skills I’ve learned, all while doing it with kindness.”;;
