Reality TV star set for big future

Reality TV star set for big future

25 August 2021

LOVE Island star Matthew MacNabb has revealed he is moving in with a fellow contestant — or several.

His prospective new housemates will all be guys — and not one of the stunning girls on the top ITV2 show.

The 26 year-old plumped for his friends, couple Toby Aromolaran and Chloe Burrows, to win the £50,000 prize as the top pair on Monday night’s final, when he spoke to the Recorder. 

But it was Welshman Liam Reardon and Essex girl Millie Court who won the competition with Millie sharing the prize fund with her new boyfriend.

The body builder and digital marketing businessman also revealed that since arriving home last weekend several famous women have slid into his DMs looking to connect.

Being the “true gentlemen” he was hailed in the show, Matthew declined to say who.

“I can tell you that there has been a few but not who they are,” he confirmed. “There’s some that I would entertain. I would definitely meet up with them and see how it goes. But I’m really laid back and don’t force things.”

Earlier, Matthew shared on social media how he struggled in his first few days as he was feeling down over the recent loss of his close friend Ryan Freeman, who he met when he was living in California last year. 

The young man died just two weeks before Matthew went on the show and had encouraged him to take part. 

He said on Instagram: “I’m not going to lie, the first week I was in the villa I struggled a lot. I was think of my friend and wanted my loved ones around me.”

Matthew told how behind the scenes, he spent an hour with a psychologist crying and sharing has grief while he was meant to be connecting with the girls.

He also found the atmosphere in the villa, where all the girls, apart from Kaz Kamwi had coupled up, slightly strained at first.

“It kind of felt that we were impostors in a way because there was a lot of people coupled up so it took us a while to come into our own. 

‘I was struggling a bit at times and I probably wasn’t my usual self so the girls were probably thinking I was a bit shy. Thankfully, I got pass that and came into my own and enjoyed the experience at the end.”

He continued: “ITV supported me so well, but it was really about being honest at how I was feeling and to get stuff off my chest. I think that’s a good message as a lot of guys don’t want to talk about how they are feeling. 

“It’s important and there’s nothing to be afraid of. You should go talk to someone if you need to talk. It definitely helped me and I’m grateful for ITV for arranging it.”

Mathew became known for his quick despatch of his first show romance, Kaz, when he found out she was again interested in her former flame, Tyler Cruickshank.

He uttered his now famous three words — “Yeah, we’re done” — but revealed he had not planned it.

“No honestly, it just slipped off the tongue. I was angry. Things have built over a day and Dale, my close friend in there, was telling me that he thought she was messing me about,” said Matthew.

“That was earlier in the day and once the vote [which kept Kaz’s former flame Tyler in] that’s when I knew she was playing big games here. I was angry and just went for it. That was the fastest end to a relationship so I made some history there on Love Island. I’m very clinical when it comes to it.”

He’s also reflective now about how his second potential love match, Priya Gopaldas, didn’t work out when she chose another man over him, sending him out of the show.

“I thought we had a good few things in common at the start but the more it went on, the more I realised that it definitely wouldn’t work. I’m not at all posh, we weren’t going to work as we were from two completely different backgrounds.

“I laughed at Sunday’s AfterSun show though where it showed all her highlights and there were all with me.

“I just went in with an open mind, I didn’t force things. I went in for the adventure and if I found love, then happy days. It didn’t go that way but I enjoyed the journey.”

His friendship with the guys has turned out to be the more lasting.

“Teddy, Toby, Tyler and Liam and I are still in touch and we’ve even talked about moving into together later this year. We are trying to figure it out so we will see,” said Matthew.

“Teddy is a top man. Me and him were very, very close. I wasn’t very close with Faye, so it’s half and half there. I love Teddy and I like Faye, but I love Toby and Chloe.”

Matthew plans to use his newly found fame to launch new business ventures.

“I don’t like to be just the personal trainer guy or digital marketing guy or just a travelling guy, I like to do it all,” he shared.

“My ideas are to base everything around fitness, adventure, travelling, business, lifestyle, physical and mental health as I want to make a difference in all those areas.

“I will be making content, do podcasts and really help people and create businesses. I’m very excited and I’ve got plans underway.”

He has been overwhelmed by the message of support from friends and acquaintances from home.

The youngest of five children of Margaret and Vincent MacNabb, Matthew added: “It’s been really positive and I’ve been told that I’ve represented Downpatrick, Down and Ireland very well. That’s been important to me as I’m from here and I wanted to represent the town well.”

Matthew will be appearing on the Love Island reunion show on September 5.