Caroline Flack: ‘I’ve never fancied a contestant – honestly!’
Love Island host Caroline Flack talks about the Majorcabased reality show that matches singletons in the sun
Y ou’ll probably have seen her on The X Factor, alongside co-host Olly Murs. But since leaving the ITV juggernaut in 2015, presenter Caroline Flack has been busy fronting ITV2’s raunchy, sunsoaked dating reality show, Love Island, in which singletons looking for love head to a Majorcan villa for several weeks of frolicking and feuds. In order to be in with a chance of winning a £50,000 prize, the contestants must couple up with other islanders and try to make their love last. Here,
Strictly champ Caroline, 37, lets us in on the behind-the-scenes secrets, what’s going on in her own love life, plus which telly show she’d love to bring back to the box… Hi, Caroline! How are you? I am in a brilliant place. I have a big smile on my face! I’m doing Love Island, of course, and I’m making my stage debut in August in the UK tour of musical Crazy For You. I’m tap-dancing around the place practising for it. I have a good year coming up – I want to embrace it. Love Island started a week ago, and things are hotting up! Should we expect plenty of between-thesheets action?! Ha ha, there can always be more sex, can’t there? But it’s not gratuitous, and it doesn’t offend me – sex is natural. If you don’t like it, don’t watch! The girls all start out saying they won’t have sex in there, but I say, ‘Never say never… ’ And there are condoms in the villa – we provide safety for our islanders! Would you do Love Island if you weren’t a celeb? If I were 18 and single, yes. I wouldn’t have sex on TV, though. For me that side of a relationship must remain behind closed doors. I wouldn’t like to know it was out there, and anyone could watch it – not that my mum
would. She’d just sigh and go, ‘Oh, God, Caroline!’
Love Island is up against Big Brother on Channel 5. Are you worried?
They’re different shows with very different formats. On our show, you get invested in the couple thing and you start to ask, ‘Are there genuine feelings between these two people, or not?’ It’s just so real. You can’t fake it on Love Island.
Do you give contestants any tips?
I can’t give them dating advice before they go in, but I can help when they come out. Everyone hated Terry [ Walsh] when he came out last year. He felt like he was public enemy number one for doing the dirty on Malin [Andersson], and a part of me felt sorry for him. I told him not to go online and retaliate. I tell contestants not to take anything negative to heart; to take things with a pinch of salt.
Are you surprised some of the couples from the show are still together?
No – it’s just another way to meet someone. It’s like when people fall in love on Strictly. They are falling in love with the experience and that keeps them together. I’m sure that’s what happened with Alex [Bowen] and Olivia [Buckland], who are now engaged. Olivia texted me last night. She’s really happy. Have you ever fancied any of the guys on the show? My friends all thought Terry was hot, but I didn’t see it. I’ve never fancied any of them. Maybe working on the show, an air of professionalism comes over you.
Do you ever get tired jetting back and forth to Majorca?
It’s fine. The year I was doing The X Factor was bad. I was doing auditions, then getting here really late without any sleep – but it’s fine. It’s like coming on holiday. It doesn’t feel like hard work. It feels like you’re a kid, working on a show you watch all the time.
Tell us about Aftersun, the new companion show...
We’ll have special guests and relationship experts. I’m really obsessed with body language and things like that to give us clues about who likes who! I’ll be asking the experts for help with my own love life the whole time, too, I’m sure.
How do you feel about dating apps?
I’m not against them, but I’m definitely into a more natural setting. For me, it’s all about chemistry when you meet someone.
Is it difficult dating a fellow celeb?
I think the connection’s either there, or it’s not. You don’t know who it’s going to be with. That’s why it’s hard to find a connection online.
You’re looking trim. How do you keep fit?
I’ve really got into spinning – it’s like being at a rave! I go to classes in London. The first time I went, I didn’t have a clue. I didn’t even know you needed special cycle shoes!
What show would you love to revive?
A really emotional show. I’d like to do something like Davina McCall does with Long Lost Families. I love those stories. I enjoyed This Is Your Life. Maybe I could do This Is Half Your Life, with younger people!
Love Island continues nightly at 9pm, ITV2
As Caroline Flack returns to the island, best gets the lowdown on this year’s show, as well as her own dating history