Latest news with #DavideSanclimenti
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Love Island's Davide Sanclimenti enjoys romantic getaway with girlfriend Iris Au as she faces jail term over $2.6million tax row
Davide Sanclimenti and his girlfriend have enjoyed a romantic getaway to California 's sun-soaked Santa Catalina island amid her legal troubles over a $2.6million tax row. The Love Island star, 30, and Iris Au, 35, went public with their relationship in January after she agreed to plead guilty to a charge after failing to report financial gains she obtained via her ex boyfriend's cryptocurrency. It was revealed that Iris could face up to three years behind bars when she's sentenced, something Davide, who is 'staying by her side', says he's been aware of all along. And it seems the couple are trying to take their minds of Iris's legal woes, as they shared snaps from a romantic getaway in California. Davide, who appeared on season 8 of Love Island in 2022, and his new flame looked totally smitten while posing in their swimwear by the coast. Iris showed off her enviable curves in a skimpy blue bikini while cuddling up close to her boyfriend of six months. The self-proclaimed 'Italian Stallion' also shared pictures of him and his partner enjoying a trip on a helicopter together, with the loved-up couple posing for a selfie while strapped in for the ride. Iris too posed up a storm for a solo snap, looking sensational in a white and black two-piece in front of a scenic backdrop. It comes just a couple of months after Davide, who left the Love Island villa with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, broke his silence about Iris's run-in with the law. Davide revealed that he 'stole' her from her ex-boyfriend cryptocurrency fraudster Iza, who has been dubbed 'The Godfather', while they were still together. It was during her time with Iza that Iris allegedly became involved in illegal activity. She agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal tax charge earlier this year meaning she's likely to be thrown behind bars. A statement revealed that she had agreed to plead guilty to the tax charge and also agreed to pay a federal criminal tax charge for failing to report $2.6 million (£2,004,886) in crypto income. She illegally gained this profit from the criminal activities of her then boyfriend. Davide however is loyally sticking by her side, telling MailOnline in March: 'How The Italian Stallion stole the girl from the Godfather with the LAPD on a speed deal… this sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster,' he said. 'The truth is that I knew about her situation from the start which is why I was protecting her. 'Iris is an amazing person who has been through difficult situations that most people could never understand. 'There's so much of this extraordinary story that people don't know yet. I will be there by her side to supply her as she deserves all the support and understanding.' According to Au's plea agreement, from 2020 to 2024, her ex Iza committed a series of crimes, including fraudulently obtaining access to advertising accounts and lines of credit provided by Facebook Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. and selling access to those accounts. Iza obtained millions of dollars of unreported income as a result of these schemes. Separately, Iza engaged active Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) deputies to provide private security for him and caused the deputies, among other things, to obtain court-authorized search warrants and confidential law enforcement information targeting people with whom Iza had financial and personal disputes. At Iza's direction, Au created shell corporations and opened bank accounts in the names of those entities. She then used the illicit funds placed into those accounts to pay approximately $1 million to the deputies, mostly in cash, purchase or lease luxury real estate, cars, jewelry, and clothing, pay for recreational activity for Iza and herself valued at nearly $10 million, and acquire approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency for Iza. Au admitted in her plea agreement that she transferred more than $2.6 million from these various accounts to her personal bank accounts during the period 2020 through 2023, income that she willfully failed to report to the IRS on her federal tax returns. After pleading guilty, Iris Au will face up to three years in federal prison.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island's Davide celebrates milestone with American girlfriend as ex Ekin-su reveals tough time after Curtis split
LOVE Island star Davide Sanclimenti has celebrated a huge milestone with his girlfriend Iris Au. The couple marked their one-year anniversary on Saturday with a special montage video. 4 4 The clip featured photos of their loved-up dates together, to holidays and trips around the world and romantic gestures. The hunky Italian looked smitten with the mum-of-two. Davide is seen presenting his partner with a huge bouquet of roses and another clip showed them kissing on the beach. He captioned it: "ONE [love heart emoji] Happy Anniversary." The TV star shot to fame in 2022 when he won with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu. The pair were known for their tumultuous relationship in and out of the villa, and they split the following year. Davide then last year. Los Angeles based Iris documents her life on social media. The 35-year-old has two daughters Paris, 10, and Pia, 11. Ekin-Su and Curtis Pritchard SPLIT three months after Love Island All Stars In March, Davide dropped a HUGE hint that he had married Iris after he referred to Paris as his "stepdaughter". It came after he posted a video which was titled "Pranking my stepdaughter', where he pretended to be auditioning to be her and her sister's manny (a male nanny) LOVED UP On Valentine's day, Davide confessed his love for Iris with a soppy Instagram post. Davide gushed: "Happy Valentine's Day to the most romantic woman I've ever met. Since being with you, I learned what a 'monthsary' is. It comes after Davide's ex Ekin-Su called time on her three-month releationship with Curtis Pritchard last week. The Sun exclusively revealed how their shock break-up - after three weeks of dating following their time in the Love Island spin-off villa - "wasn't weeks in the making." As such, the split is said to be "raw" for both parties who discovered they were "growing apart" - with work opportunities proving a key divide. A source close to the former couple has now told The Sun of the break-up: 'It was very much a mutual decision, but it happened very recently in the last few days. "It certainly wasn't weeks in the making, so it's still raw for them both but they had a series of crisis talks in the recent days which were emotional for them both. "They wanted to make it work, but they felt they like they were growing apart and they couldn't see a way forward. "One of the biggest issues for their relationship was their busy careers - it sounds like a cliche but Ekin, 30, is getting a lot of work opportunities out in America, while Curtis, 29, is focussing on his burgeoning boxing career as well as his new investment app. "As they are both so busy, it was becoming harder to prioritise the relationship and they realised that wasn't a good sign. "They are still on really good terms and it's all very amicable. "Nobody was blindsided, so there is no bad blood between them." EKIN-SU'S STATEMENT In May, Ekin-Su shared a statement on social media confirming they had parted ways. She said: "I wanted to share that Curtis and I have decided to go our separate ways. "It's been a really tough decision, but one made with a lot of love and respect for one another. "He's an incredible person and I'll always cherish the memories we made both in and out of the villa. "Thank you all so much for the love and support over the past few months. "We're both focusing on navigating this transition and would really appreciate privacy during this time. "Love always, Ekin-Su."
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island's Ekin-Su on Curtis showmance rumours, how she really feels about Davide & THAT bitter feud with MAFS star
BELIEVE it or not, for the last 10 years we've been watching beautiful people in bikinis find their type on paper and couple up. So, to celebrate 10 years of Love Island, we had to revisit one of its most iconic stars, Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu. 7 The 30 year old won the show in 2022, alongside then-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti, with the highest-ever percentage of the vote. Racking up 4.2m Instagram followers since then, she has gone on to land brand deals with Oh Polly and BPerfect, as well as several reality shows, including her own with Davide. Then, earlier this year, she returned to the villa for Love Island: All Stars, reaching the final with boyfriend Curtis Prichard, 29. 'Love Island is where I'm from,' Ekin-Su says. 'It's where I was 'born'. "It is a very successful show – not only have we had marriages and babies, but so many amazing Islanders, like Molly-Mae Hague, Maura Higgins and other icons. It's been replicated in so many countries, but the UK one will be forever the best. It is an honour to have been a part of such a fun, crazy and fiery show, and the fact I won it means a lot. 'Even now, I say to producers I would go back in, not to find love, but just to enjoy the experience of being in there. There's such excitement in the drama and not having your phone [and contact with the outside world] on this holiday of a lifetime.' Ekin-Su didn't just star on the show – she was a fan before she went in, and, in a weird turn of events, had watched her now-boyfriend, pro dancer Curtis on the show in 2015. 'I watched season five, which had Maura, Molly-Mae and Curtis. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't impressed with his treatment of Amy [Hart, who he split from after Casa Amor, before going on to date Maura]. Maura was my favourite. She had boundaries. That's what I liked about her.' Last year, Ekin-Su told us the only way she'd go back into the villa was if they paid her £5million, because she was worried about 'being cast as the villain'. So, what changed? 'I lied,' she cackles. Ekin-Su snogs Curtis Pritchard as she supports Love Island boyfriend backstage at Misfits boxing match 'No, I'm joking. It was different dynamics. I was more mature. When I first went in, I didn't know what Love Island could bring me. I didn't know how it worked, or what it felt like to be on reality TV. But the second time around was easier – I knew what to expect and felt more calm, so I was more in my element. There were arguments I would have got involved in the first time around that I avoided in All Stars. I didn't want petty fights, but I did have to stand my ground and be strong where needed.' How does she look back at that first series and her time with Davide? 'I've changed a lot. I now think: 'How iconic that we won the show.' I don't hate Davide. Sometimes, I look at the clips of us and I laugh, though that doesn't mean I miss him. But I'm happy for him, I genuinely mean that. He's found someone [he's dating entrepreneur Iris Au] and they look really in love. Two years ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to say that.' And was she shocked she coupled up with Curtis, who she's still with six months on? 'I didn't think I'd end up with someone like him. I always go for guys who are a bit like Davide. But I'm older now and I know what didn't work for me. I need someone who suits my personality and is genuinely nice and who lets me shine. 'At the start, people were like: 'Oh, you guys are a showmance,' but it never was. We're both geeks. Although we are not the same, I see myself in him. He's a lovely guy and very peaceful. 'When something feels right, I feel free. That's how I know I'm with the right guy. I feel that with Curtis and I'm happy in myself. I love myself more. Before, I was anxious and felt like I was walking on eggshells. Now, I don't worry if I don't hear from him for a couple of hours. We trust each other. It's a healthy relationship.' Love Islanders tend to move at an accelerated pace in their relationships after leaving the villa. But Ekin-Su has learned her lesson and doesn't want to rush it. 7 7 'We don't live together,' she explains. 'It's not that we are taking it slow, but that's how it should be [in normal dating]. I think you should both live your own lives and then, after a year or so when it's serious, you should look to buy a home together. Then you know it's the real thing.' It's not been all plain sailing for Ekin-Su and Curtis, though. Married At First Sight star Georges Berthonneau, 32, claimed that he and Ekin were in a serious, secret 10-month relationship before she went into the villa. He said they'd agreed a set of boundaries, so she could appear on the reality show, before reuniting with him once the show had ended. Ekin-Su shakes her head and sighs: 'It's just somebody that I've known from the past. I was never in an exclusive relationship with him. I wish him the best. That's all I can say. It was over and we were never a thing. I think he's just a bitter guy who's hurt. Curtis knows about him. I just don't understand why you would even do that, though. Not even my ex, Davide, would speak maliciously about me. And we [she and Georges] weren't a couple. I think he should stop saying my name really. His 10 minutes of fame is over. I just wish him the best.' And while Ekin-Su and Curtis are taking it slowly, they have ticked off some couple milestones, including meeting the family. 'I've met AJ [Curtis' brother] and Zara [Zoffany]. And now they're engaged, so we've got the wedding to look forward to.' Are there any wedding plans of her own? 'I want to get married – I've told Curtis straight: 'You need to put a ring on it in two years, otherwise I'm out!' I'm not wasting my youth. Curtis is not a guy to shy away from proposing. He knows what he wants – he asked me to be his girlfriend on Love Island. "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. We've spoken about getting married – I want kids and so does Curtis. He wants two boys and I'm like: 'What about one girl and one boy?' I think he'd be an amazing dad. I even have baby names, but I'm not going to say them because somebody might steal them! 'But at the moment, we're both enjoying our lives. And when the time's right, the first thing we'll do is an exclusive with Fabulous,' she laughs. Before she looks too far into the future, Ekin-Su is keen to book a holiday, because apart from their time in South Africa for All Stars, the pair haven't had a chance to go away together. This is partly because Curtis was preparing for his professional boxing debut. 'Boxing is brutal,' she says. 'He's so bruised. I've seen him physically throw up in a bucket. "I kept saying to him: 'Are you not scared about your face?' He was like: 'I'll get a new nose.' I'm like: 'No, babe, you're beautiful.' He's gone from this dancer to beating up a man. It's crazy. 'I know some professional boxers don't see their wives for months. Tyson Fury goes away to camp and just switches off, and that's hard. I guess you just have to be understanding, because I think Curtis will want to keep going and go professional. 'The only negative is we haven't had that honeymoon phase yet,' she says. 7 'We've come out of Love Island and I've been in America and he's been training every day. We haven't had romantic dinners or any wild times together. But now all that is over, we're booking a holiday. I'm sitting there, thinking: 'I'm working really hard every day. These other couples, they're on holidays all the time. What's going on?'' she laughs. Although, one pair who won't be jetting off is Love Island: All Stars winners Gabby Allen, 33, and Casey O'Gorman, 28, who split last month. 'I recently found out they'd broken up and I was like: 'What?' I actually messaged my manager to ask if it was real. I'm shocked, as they won. Maybe it was because of the age gap.' I've made mistakes and I've learned from them. Now I just want to be healthy and happy Ekin-Su Since shooting to fame three years ago, Ekin-Su has gone on to appear on Dancing On Ice and Celebrity Big Brother, as well as the second series of The Traitors US, which she had an early exit from after being 'murdered' and buried alive. She has some advice for the likes of Stephen Fry, Alan Carr and Clare Balding, who are among the stars appearing in the first UK celebrity series of The Traitors later this year. 'To do well, you have to almost act dumb or stupid, because if you have a game plan, people will think you're a traitor and vote you out. You need to act like you don't know what you're doing. The smart thing is not to appear to be smart,' she says. Ekin-Su's own career continues to go from strength to strength, with Netflix reality show Inside coming up. 'I've manifested my five-year plan to do more TV. I love being on TV and I'm owning saying that now,' she says. 'I'd love to be in the US for six months, then back here.' It sounds as if she has her life mapped out. 'I've made mistakes and I've learned from them,' she says. 'Now I just want to be healthy and happy.'
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island star Jay Younger shares rare photos of ‘Ekin-Su lookalike' girlfriend on romantic getaway
LOVE Island star Jay Younger has shared some rare photos of his 'Ekin-Su lookalike' girlfriend on their latest romantic getaway. Jay, 31, left fans seeing double as he went Instagram official with his stunning new partner last December. 8 8 The 2022 islander - whose bid for love on the ITV2 series ended in a dumping - has, once again, shared loved-up pics with the gorgeous brunette during their Cancun, Mexico holiday. In a pair of snaps, the pair strolled along the sand hand-in-hand, with Jay beaming at his other half as she smiled at the camera. He kept things casual in a white tee and black shorts, while she turned heads in a strapless cream minidress. Other photos showed the beauty, who hasn't been tagged or named, blowing a kiss towards the camera over dinner and snuggled up in bed with a dog. In his caption, Jay wrote: "Mexico 2025." In a string of pics summing up 2024, Jay first revealed the petite brunette to his followers. Among them, they could be seen wrapped up in jackets and snuggled together in New York and riding bikes around London. While the now not-so mystery woman has been shared to the world, Love Island fans couldn't resist disccusing her striking resemblance to Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, who Jay dated during his time in the villa. Although they didn't quite work out, with Ekin-Su going on to win that year's series with Davide Sanclimenti, it seems the pair are on good terms. In fact, Ekin was one of the first to celebrate his new relationship, responding to the pics and commenting: 'Yes Jay! she's beautiful.' I was on Love Island and producers wouldn't let me pick the girl I wanted But one fan quickly responded: 'she looks EXACTLY like you in the 5th slide' while another noted '@ekinsuofficial I thought it was you 😆' 'I think she looks like Ekin x' said another in the comments. Jay arrived on Love Island as a bombshell during the eighth series on the show, stirring up trouble by taking three of the girls on dates. A couple of days later, Ekin-Su chose to couple up with him. However, the pair's spark quickly fizzled out, with Jay choosing Paige Thorne to couple up with, while Ekin-Su returned to Davide. He later coupled up with Danica Taylor, before meeting Chyna Mills and switching to her during Casa Amor. Jay and Chyna were eventually dumped on Day 35 of the show following a public vote, and Jay later claimed that the producers had too much say in who he coupled up with, affecting his time in the villa. The couple did not remain together on the outside, with Chyna now in a relationship with Strictly Come Dancing pro Neil Jones, with whom she has a baby girl. Jay revealed that just weeks after leaving the villa, he went back to his desk job as an investment analyst. Paige is now being rumoured to be part of next year's All Stars line-up, returning to the villa once more. Love Island All Stars 2025 rumours Love Island All Stars will be back for its second series in 2025 - and rumours are already rife as to who will be making a comeback this time around. After the second All Stars series was announced in May, show boss Mike Spender said: "Lots of people have been in contact about it, lots of fun people, from series one onwards. "We cast it because we knew what was going on behind the scenes of who was getting with who and now even more stories have come out. "I think we will now save ex-islanders for All Stars." One rumoured name for the next series is data engineer Harry Baker. Harry, 25, arrived in the villa as a bombshell in Series 11. He soon 'stole' Grace Jackson after making his debut. Arriving late in the run, he only lasted for a few days before being dumped alongside Lola Deloca. Despite the hunk's brief stint, viewers have called for Harry's return. One upset fan wrote: "Get you in All Stars next", to which Harry cryptically replied by posting 'shrugging' emojis. 8 8 8 8 8 8
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How fame is Ekin Su's one true love! Two TV 'showmances', being 'fake' on Celebrity Big Brother and a secret love who she 'betrayed' for her career - after awkward exit from TV BAFTAs dinner she wasn't invited to
When she first burst onto the nation's TV screens back in the summer of 2022 it was obvious Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu was a force to be reckoned with. Waltzing on to Love Island she boldly declared: 'I'm not here to make season girlfriends, I am here to meet the love of my life' before her and then boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti went on to be crowned the villa king and queen. But that was by far the end of their love story and instead of getting the happily ever after she hoped for, Ekin-Su has since been plagued for her 'showmances'. She even hid a 'secret boyfriend' for the chance to go on Love Island: All Stars to progress her career and pursue a life in the spotlight. Tipped to become the most-successful contestant ever after leaving the ITV reality show she attempted to follow in the footsteps of Molly-Mae Hague, and was quickly met with a £1million fashion line with Oh Polly when she exited the villa, the biggest clothing deal in the show's history. She has reportedly amassed an impressive £1.6million fortune from brand deals and a constant string of TV appearances, including Love Island (again), Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing On Ice and even the US version of The Traitors. After the breakdown of her relationship with Davide at the start of 2024, Ekin went on to relaunch herself into the reality TV scene as she joined the line up of the comeback series of Celebrity Big Brother. She was accused by fellow housemates of being 'fake' and playing a role on the show. Despite attempting to 'blame the edit' for how she was perceived, Ekin tried her hand at TV dating again as she returned for Love Island: All Stars in January where she met her latest flame Curtis Pritchard. The unlikely couple have insisted they are still growing strong despite being accused of faking it for the sake of a showmance. Last year the star even flew across the pond for a stint in the US version of The Traitors in an attempt to increase her global reach. Yet it seems Ekin-Su hasn't quite become the star she hoped, despite her hunger to elevate herself from the murky waters of reality TV and accelerate her celebrity status. On Sunday the influencer suffered an awkward moment when her plans to mix with the A-Listers nose-dived and she was asked to leave the official BAFTA afterparty after attending the star-studded television awards. Ekin-Su was one of many influencers to be invited to the ceremony by the show's sponsors P&O Cruises, but she wasn't on the invite list to the exclusive dinner and afterparty. Alas that did not stop the 30 year-old chancing her luck and entering the swanky dinner service where she hoped to rub shoulders with Damian Lewis, Billie Piper, David Tennant and James Corden, to name a few. An onlooker told the Mail: 'Ekin-Su was aimlessly wandering around while all the real stars were seated at the bash having dinner. It was actually quite tragic to witness. 'She tried to blend in with the crowd, but was eventually spotted without a dinner invitation by BAFTA's security team and was asked to leave. It was so humiliating.' Sources close to Ekin-Su maintain that she was, in fact, trying to find her way out at the time. Since soaring to fame Ekin has done her best to stay relevant and in the limelight. In the beginning the star and her now ex Davide attempted to make their name as a famous couple after appearing in their own reality TV show called Homecomings where they both travelled to their native Italy and Turkey. However their relationship wasn't plain sailing after the Italian hunk was accused of cheating with an OnlyFans model. Cracks appeared in her relationship with Davide less than a month after they won Love Island after he was seen leaving a party with two blondes in August of that year. Ekin-Su said she was left in floods of tears after learning of the incident, insisting she did not want to believe Davide would treat her badly. When she asked him 'how could you do this to me', she claims he simply replied: 'Excuse me?' While filming their ITV2 show Homecomings, Ekin-Su said she saw pictures of Davide with females on his phone. He claims she saw images of two blonde girls in his Manchester flat wearing his clothes. Ekin-Su did not want to make anything of the situation at the time because they were being filmed. The television personality went on to claim Davide cheated on her with a girl called Harriet Wilson, with Harriet contacting Ekin-Su to tell her. Ekin-Su said that at another time Davide left his laptop open and she saw sexually explicit messages between him and a girl she herself had met on New Year's Eve. She said seeing those messages 'broke something in me'. Yet she said said she did not want to be embarrassed amid the cheating allegations so did her best not to react publicly but also wanted to protect Davide. Davide was later spotted snorting a suspicious white powder in Ibiza while Ekin-Su was at home in the UK. Amid her relationship turmoil her momentum for fame continued as she received a huge £100,000 pay day to compete on Dancing On Ice in 2023. However she only made it to week three in the competition before being voted out. Having cemented herself as a reality TV favourite, Ekin's next appearance came on the US version of The Traitors, which aired on Peacock in early 2024. However when she returned to the UK she learnt Davide had been out partying in Manchester with her love rival Harriet. It is also claimed he went on a secret holiday to Morocco with an OnlyFans model but did not tell Ekin-Su the truth when he returned. After a brief split in June 2023 the pair reconciled just just two months later, enjoying a romantic getaway to Turkey, where Ekin-Su's parents hail, before ending things for good in January 2024. Following the split she then made her controversial appearance on Celebrity Big Brother last year, alongside the likes of Sharon Osborne and Louis Walsh. Ekin was so upset by the reaction that she didn't attend the final and has since opened up about how the show left her at 'rock bottom' Fans called her out for hysterical 'fake' crying while cuddling a teddy bear, when she had a dramatic meltdown over being nominated for eviction by fellow housemate Marisha Wallace. Ekin became the fourth person to be evicted, after the other housemates accused her of being fake and playing a role, and has since admitted she thought she would be 'cancelled' following the experience. She left the Big Brother house to jeers and boos and during Big Brother: Late And Live where she was grilled by celebrity panelist Layton Williams, who blasted: 'Don't blame it on the edit. We see what we see,' while show presenter Will Best dubbed her 'Ekin Boo Hoo Hoo'. Ekin was so upset by the reaction that she didn't attend the final and has since opened up about how the show left her at 'rock bottom'. Speaking on Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast back in March she opened up on the death threats she received after her appearance on the programme, admitted that it was the 'wrong show, wrong time' after she signed up so soon following her break up with Davide. 'You know, I was gone at the time, mentally, I don't think I was myself. Came back from Big Brother. Obviously, there was a lot of hate going on. 'It was a very low point I felt because I already felt worthless going in the house, coming out to a lot of hate and death threats and people saying, you know, like, "you don't deserve to be alive. I'm going to come and find you and kill you". 'Like all these really nasty things, like "you should be ashamed to be who you are. You deserve to be bullied". It is triggering. It triggers things.' On how she reacted, she continued: 'And I was in my flat, and I was just sitting on the floor and just burst into tears for a good three hours, just crying, and I just felt like I didn't know while I was like, touching myself thinking, "is this real? Am I? Is this fake?" 'It was a really weird mind things I was going through, it felt like this whole thing wasn't real.' However it wasn't enough to put the star off completely and she returned to ITV once again, this time for the second series of Love Island: All Stars. She told her 4.3million fanbase in January: 'I know I said I was done with Love Island, but here I am, fully invested again. The drama, the chaos, the questionable decisions, I just can't stay away.' Pairing up with the unlikely Curtis Pritchard the couple were plagued with rumours their relationship was fake. Laughing off recent allegations that they're only in a relationship for the publicity in March, Ekin told The Sun: 'I've got respect for anyone's opinions.' She added: 'I think everyone is entitled to think something and I can understand why they think that, because on the show we are theatrical people and when we come together, it is like a performance. 'But it's not a showmance, it's real. It just feels right. It feels healthy and I am myself.' Yet it has since been revealed that Ekin was in a secret relationship with Married At First Sight UK 's Georges Berthonneau during her time on the show. According to Georges, he and Ekin were in love, but she insisted on signing up to the ITV2 show to further her career. They agreed she would go no further than 'kissing' another Islander during her time on the dating series, of which she was the star signing. But Georges, 32, who confirmed the couple's 10-month romance for the first time to MailOnline, claimed Ekin betrayed him on national TV when she became Curtis ' girlfriend, leaving him devastated. In an exclusive interview, Georges told MailOnline he and Ekin had planned a future together, called each other pet names, holidayed in France during the summer and spent Boxing Day exchanging gifts, just 18 days before she entered the South African villa. The personal trainer said he lived a 'nightmare' for the five weeks Ekin was on the dating show as she passionately kissed Curtis, 29, and performed a seductive routine for him wearing sexy red lingerie during the programme's Heart Rate Challenge. But after Ekin shunned Georges once All Stars was over, only reaching out to him a week after the final, he finally ended their romance, saying: 'I can't be with someone who has another boyfriend…' He said: 'I got played. She gaslit me. I said to her before she went into the villa, "you do realise no one else would accept you going on the show" and she replied, "and that's exactly why I won't be with someone who wouldn't let me do things for my career." 'I feel so used. The devil on her shoulder is always money, money, money, brand deals, she just wants to be the most known person and that's all she cares about. 'I begged her not to go on All Stars and her friends were telling her not to because she had me at home who she cares about and loves but she said she needed to do it for her career. 'She said her career was more important even though she also wants to have a family and children. She threw it all away with me. 'Despite the fact she was going on Love Island, she told me not to get with any other girls while she was away, which I told her wouldn't happen because I loved her.' On social media Ekin and Curtis are continuing to put on a loved up appearance and last month they hit back at split rumours in an Instagram video as Curtis was heard saying: 'Yeah apparently I'm now single as well, yes!', as Ekin-Su could be heard laughing in the background. 'But unfortunately I've got back with my ex straight away,' he continued, as he leaned into Ekin-Su and showed her on camera. 'Apparently spending nearly two or three days away means we've broken up?' Ekin-Su said. Curtis clarified: 'You were working away and I've eh... been working in a dungeon, getting beaten up.'
