Shaughna Phillips has the backing of her favourite councillor after quitting the town hall for Love Island.
Lambeth Council deputy leader Claire Holland said the “beautiful, smart and fun” officer brightened up her briefings “however dry the topic”.
She said: “I nominated Shaughna for the Rising Star Staff Award before I knew she was leaving us.
“Not only is she a great colleague but she has a good heart, is bright and wants to make a difference. And I am sure she will.
“All this and lovely looking too. I wish her all the best and will be rooting for her on Love Island. Any one of the participants would be lucky to have her.”
Shaughna began her quest for love tonight when she paired up with scaffolder Callum Jones from Manchester.
There was also a twist when 20-year-old twins Jess and Eve Gale arrived, and will be given the opportunity to steal some of the men already coupled up.
Londoner Shaughna, who wants to be an MP, said before the show that her looks are not always helpful.
“It might just be my own insecurity that I think people expect me to be dumb,” she said.
“Straight away I’m like: Right, I’m going to show them.
“I think I’m instantly kind of put in a category where people don’t expect me to know what I’m talking about.
"Or I think I just always have to try and prove myself a little bit more.”
She said of councillor Claire: “She’s who I’m going to be when I grow up.”
She also revealed “the door is always open” to return to her job after the ITV show ends.
“My manager was like: ‘No funny business,’” she laughed.
