For almost a decade, viewers have watched as men and women ‘couple’ and inevitably drift apart on the emotional rollercoaster of Love Island.
But it looks like the producers may be moving away from the standard cast of straight twenty-somethings that normally populate the Spanish village by including gay singles for the first time.
Talking in the mail Straight to the comments! PodcastFormer Islander Curtis Pritchard, 28, said he believes a more inclusive series is finally on the horizon.
“I think Love Island is going to do it,” he said when asked by hosts Archie Manners and Josh Pieters if the show would include gay or bisexual contestants in the future or even a “trio”, the term for a couple of three. .
The producers had previously dismissed speculation about the appearance of gay islanders, saying the “format” did not lend itself to their inclusion.
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Curtis Pritchard believes Love Island will include gay contestants in the future (pictured with Maura Higgins on the show in 2019)
Amber Gill won series five with Greg O’Shea and then began dating footballer Jen Beattie (pictured), although they split in December after almost a year together.
But previous Islanders, including 2019 winner Amber Gill and Megan Barton-Hanson, identified as bisexual, while in the first series the late Sophie Gradon joined Katie Salmon.
Gill won season five with Greg O’Shea and then began dating footballer Jen Beattie, although they split in December after almost a year together.
It comes after producers insisted the popular dating show is “not a same-sex production” but admitted they are open to hosting Love Island’s first “triple” given three-way relationships are ” “fashionable” among celebrities.
Executive producer Mike Spencer told MailOnline that the format has “dictated” the show to cast only straight islanders.
He said: ‘The format of the show is more open to bisexual islanders, but it is not a same-sex production as such. The format has dictated it and we are not going to change that now, no.
“It’s complicated, obviously I work for Lifted and we do Love Island and there are other productions on ITV that cover more same-sex relationships, but we’ll continue to do this brilliant show and focus on that and people still really enjoy it and I love it. ‘
Pritchard, who appeared on the podcast with his brother AJ, 29, competed on the show’s fifth season in 2019 and ultimately finished in fourth place with Maura Higgins.
He admitted that unlike others, he did not have sex during his nine weeks in the villa and only masturbated once.
Speaking in the mail directly to the comments! Podcast, former Islander Curtis Pritchard, 28, said he believes a more inclusive series is finally on the horizon.
Appearing on the show at the height of its popularity, the former Dancing with the Stars pro said all the contestants were given bodyguards as they left the villa and felt as big as ‘Beyonce’.
“On Love Island they give you an escort agent straight after,” he said.
‘We have two for each person when we go out because you walk out of that show like you’re Beyonce.
“That’s why people think you’re so amazing, you walk through the airport and there’s about 100, 200 people in the airport and they just jump on you.”
Pritchard said that’s why some contestants “get very stubborn and that’s why they give you confidence” because “people follow us for at least a month afterwards, everywhere.”
The TV star, who has since worked on Hollyoaks and Celebs Go Dating, said islanders are told they can’t talk about the outside world while on the show and must wait to be told when they can “attract ” to another islander for a date. chat.
“Imagine you’re in this environment where you’re not allowed to talk about the outside world, about anything that’s going on, you can only talk about what’s going on and who’s there,” he said.
“Now they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s time, there are enough cameras so you can take Joanna out and have a conversation.'” She goes and takes her to talk.
He said the islanders are not filmed having lunch and dinner, which is prepared for them by a catering company, and they are not allowed to talk about their relationships.
Curtis said the islanders are told they can’t talk about the outside world while on the show and must wait to be told when they can “engage” another islander for a chat.
“There’s no filming there, so we split the tables, we have a girls’ table and a boys’ table, so we’re not allowed to talk about anything that happens on the show.”
AJ, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing as a professional, competed on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, said it bothers him that smokers have more free time than non-smokers in TV.
“Next time I do a TV show I’ll just say I smoke,” he said.
“They have a smoke break, they leave the camera area, they sit for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, they have a cigarette, they feel calm with themselves, whatever they want to do and they come back to the show, microphones off.
‘I’m just going to say I smoke next time, go out and light a cigarette, put it on the floor and just say this is my meditation time.
“You feel like you’re trapped, your safety net in all these places is the bathroom, sit on the bathroom and no one can get to you.”
The Mail has contacted ITV for comment.
Elsewhere in the chat, Curtis spoke about unseen moments on Love Island while reflecting on his stints on reality TV.
And listeners will find out all about it if they tune in straight to the comments!
Along with a celebrity guest, Josh and Archie help break down some of the most outlandish, cover-worthy claims to appear in MailOnline stories in the new podcast.
Online stunt creators and YouTube sensations Josh and Archie are best known for upending Protestant juggernaut Just Stop Oil by infiltrating the group and shutting down a protest.
Listeners can join Josh and Archie each week as they welcome a celebrity guest to help them break down some of the most outrageous and cover-worthy statements featured in MailOnline stories.
After all, who better to expose the media and guess the story than the celebrities themselves?
Straight to the Comments is published every Monday and sees hosts Josh Pieters and Archie Manners embracing the hilarity and uniqueness of the MailOnline comments section.
Each episode takes Josh and Archie on a journey with their celebrity partner to discover what strange story about them in the press correlates with the even stranger comments left on the articles.
From poking fun at their paths to success to finding out which celebrity is wearing last night’s outfit, straight to the comments! is your new listen of the week that is worth it.
Listeners can expect behind-the-scenes insights into some of the biggest celebrity headlines, gossip-fueled stories and tidbits, and fun guest appearances.
Straight to the comments! is available on all major podcast providers. You can follow on Apple here and Spotify here so that it arrives on your device first thing every Monday.