Exclusive
LOVE GUYLAND
Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard reveals he’s open to having a relationship with a man
LOVE ISLAND hunk Curtis Pritchard may have only just consummated his relationship with stunning Maura Higgins – but he claims he wouldn’t rule out a romance with a BLOKE.
The 23-year-old pro dancer, who coupled up with the sexy Irish grid girl in the villa, says he has rejected “labels” when it comes to love.
9
Curtis famously refused fiery Maura’s sexual advances on the show. But she reveals she finally bedded him when she travelled home to Ireland with him, days after leaving Mallorca, where the show is filmed.
But despite his romance with Maura hotting up, Curtis tells The Sun he wouldn’t rule out a same-sex relationship in the future.
He says: “I’ve been with women and I’m with a woman now. You can never put a label on anything. It’s a cliche to say, but love is blind. I can never ever say what will happen in the future. I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
The ballroom dancer, who is the younger brother of Strictly pro AJ Pritchard, admits he was pleased he resisted 28-year-old Maura’s seduction attempts on screen.
9
9
He says: “It was worth the wait. I’m glad we did it away from the cameras, but that’s all I’ll say, as a gentleman never kisses and tells.
“I never felt pressured to have sex on TV. I didn’t want to show off Maura to the world. I was absolutely fine talking about sex, but actually performing it in front of people was next-level stuff.
“Maura understood that and said we were lucky that I have a strong willpower. At times you did want to let go under the covers, so I had to remind myself that there were cameras on us.
“It’s human instinct, it’s natural — we’re put on this planet to reproduce, it’s part of us. It was hard not to do it.”
9
The couple’s experience on Love Island was far from smooth, with Curtis spending his first month in the villa coupled up with air stewardess Amy Hart, 28.
He admits he sought help from the show’s psychologists to deal with their explosive break-up.
He says: “As well as going to the boys for advice and help, I went to the welfare team throughout the villa.
“It was good to be able to talk to somebody off mic and get your feelings out and off my chest. It really helped me, especially those days during my split from Amy.
9
“Normally I would talk to my mum or AJ and rant about whatever needed to be ranted about. If I’d held it in, I would have blown up and made an irrational decision.
“It was nice to have a neutral person to help clear my head. Those few days around our break- up was so hard for me. I cried morning and night — it was so emotional. I didn’t want to wrong her.
“I knew Amy was going through a hard time and I wanted to be there for her, but I knew that would have been the wrong thing to do.
“She obviously really liked me and if I was going to be there for her, that would have given her the wrong signals. That’s why it was so hard to be in there afterwards.
9
Curtis Pritchard and Maura Higgins all but confirm they've had sex since leaving the Love Island villa
“After we broke up, I knew I’d probably be going home. I was preparing to leave with my head held high. I knew I’d done the right thing for me.”
Curtis admits he had had feelings for Maura before even setting foot on Love Island.
He says: “Before the show I had messaged her on Instagram and she had ignored me. I remember her coming in and instantly recognised her. It was weird. I had admired her from afar for so long. I can’t believe what it has developed into.”
Curtis stands by his decision to court both Maura and fashionista Francesca Allen before coupling up with the Irish beauty.
9
He says: “The Francesca love triangle came about because I didn’t want to jump into another relationship straight away for the hell of it.
“It might sound bad, but I wanted to get to know both of them so I could make the correct decision “I’d hurt somebody and made them leave the villa and I didn’t want to do that again. So I took my time and really got to know people.
“I still wouldn’t have changed how I did it all as it has brought me a lot closer to Maura and I’m a lucky man that she put up with what I was doing. A lot of people wouldn’t.
“Currently we’re not officially boyfriend and girlfriend.
9
I’ve said to her I’m really happy with how everything is going and since we’ve gone on the outside I’ve got to know her even better.
“It’s the simple little things which make me like her even more, like being in the car singing along to music together, or going on a walk around the forest.
“She does so many cute things, like I was lying on the bed, really tired, and she walked past and undid my shoelaces and took my shoes off. I feel like we’ve got so much closer. I’m not seeing anyone else.”
He adds: “My parents are now pronouncing her name correctly. She said a lot of people call her Moira — she’s had it all her life.”
9
Normally Curtis spends hours each day training on the dance floor, so two months of inactivity and being able to eat whatever he wanted on Love Island really took its toll on his body.
He says: “I gained around two stone. I enjoyed myself in the villa and I didn’t exercise a lot.
“I liked to treat myself every now and again with food. I’m hoping to start training again soon. I find it good, physically and mentally. I need to sort my diet out, that’s the main thing.
"You can work out but if you don’t have a meal plan with a decent diet you’ve got no chance. Hopefully AJ will give me some tips on getting a six-pack back.”
MOST READ IN LOVE ISLAND
Curtis was widely mocked on social media when he referred to girls on the show as “young ladies”, but he explains: “I do a lot of work with older people with dementia, teaching them to dance, and I know it makes the women feel good when I call them a young lady.
“I’m old at heart. I listen to older music. I think calling someone a young lady is a compliment and respectful.”
Maura Higgins, Curtis Pritchard and ex Amy Hart put on same table at Love Island Reunion
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Topics