‘I’m hoping Luke will pop the question this year!’
Former Love Island star Lucie Donlan on her happy relationship, dreams of an engagement and dealing with trolls
She soared to fame as the blonde surfer babe from Newquay on 2019’s Love Island, and now Lucie Donlan tells us she’s living the dream. When we sit down with a cuppa to speak to the 22-year-old over the phone, we’re dying to find out all the gossip about how things are going with her boyfriend Luke Mabbott, who was on Love Island last year.
Luke, 25, finished the show in third place with Demi Jones, 22, and after they parted ways last May, Luce slid into his DMs.
The adorable couple have now been smitten for six months.
“He knows I’m ready for a ring on my finger,”she admits.“I love spending every minute with him.”
Here, Lucie opens up even more about dreamboat Luke, says she was trolled for putting on weight in the Love Island villa, and reveals she’s bought a gorgeous new home…
Lucie, you and Luke are couple goals!
[Laughs] We’ve been together six months now and it’s been a dream. I never thought I’d meet someone like him. He’s a best friend as well as a boyfriend. Luke is so calm and caring. I love spending every minute with him.
So, is Luke The One?
Definitely! When you know, you know.
Could an engagement be on the cards in 2021?
I hope so [laughs]!
You must have told him you’re ready for a ring…
Absolutely! He knows that.
Exciting! You went on a great trip towards the end of 2020…
Yes! We went away for work to the Maldives, because they really struggled with tourism out there. It’s really sad and they have to support their families as well. So we created content to help encourage people to go away [when lockdown is lifted] and support them.
How lovely. How have you found the lockdowns?
I struggled a lot with the first one. It’s hard when you’re stuck inside. I’m so used to being outdoors and in the sea. Luckily, we were still allowed to surf. Without surfing, I would have really struggled with my mental health. I think everyone has struggled with their wellbeing as they’ve not been able to do activities like they usually would. It’s definitely been a hard time.
Love Island is such a huge show. Tell us everything about your experience on it…
I’d always dreamed of going on Love Island, because when you go on a show like that you tell them who your dream guy would be in the hopes that they’d match you up. Obviously, I met Luke coming off the show and he’s someone I never thought I’d meet.Through Love Island, you meet so many amazing friends and you get given so many opportunities.The build-up was so exciting and fun to me, because I’d always wanted to do it. It was an amazing experience.
How did it feel to go from being a fan to going on it yourself?
It was a dream come true. It’s so different than watching it. It was so nice to meet people on the show who will be my friends forever, like Maura [Higgins]. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Do a lot of you keep in touch?
Myself and Maura keep in touch the most, and I normally go and stay with her. Jordan [Hames], Michael [Griffiths], Danny [Williams] and Chris [Taylor] live together, so we go and see them. I speak to Joanna [Chimonides] occasionally as well.
Do you ever go back and watch the episodes you’re in?
No! I couldn’t [laughs].
None of it?! Come on…
No, really! I’ve seen clips that are funny to look back on, but I don’t think I could watch the series.
How do you feel about reality TV?
It’s amazing. It opens so many doors for people. Without that I wouldn’t have been able to work with so many incredible brands. Obviously there are a lot of downsides to reality TV as well, like trolling.
Absolutely! So how do you cope with trolls?
I do get it quite a lot. But when you’re on the show that’s when it’s heightened, because you’re in the limelight. After a year, it calms down a lot. I didn’t used to be as confident as I am now, and I think back in the day it would have affected me badly. But now, I just block them. Sometimes it does affect me and I do get sad. But Luke is really good at things like that, he talks me round.
What kind of things would trolls write to you?
My part on the show widely was about how I was more of a tomboy. I get a lot of messages asking why I’m not friends with girls and why I hang out with boys. I also put on a lot of weight in the Love Island villa and I was getting a lot of hate about my size. That’s why when I came out I focused even more on my fitness, because I wanted to feel like I was perfect.
Bless you! What’s the plan for 2021?
I’ve just bought a nice little house on the beach in Cornwall, so I’m really excited about that. I think Luke is going to help me do it up, because he was a plumber.
Nice! Tell us about the new sustainable collection from Ann Summers that you’re promoting...
It’s so relatable to me. Having grown up around the ocean, it’s amazing to be doing something that helps the environment.There’s nothing like my range out there at the moment. With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s the right time to choose sustainable clothing and help benefit the environment. The world won’t last forever!