Chris and Kem’s life lessons:
“Family is everything – we love hanging out with our mums!”
‘WHAT WILL BE, WILL BE’
CHRIS: In life, you can’t pick and choose – what will happen will happen. It’s a bit like that in your love life, and work too – it just happens. Kem and I are so grateful for the opportunities we’ve had since appearing on Love Island in 2017, and we try to keep grounded. When it comes to dating, you can’t force things, so it’s best just to let it be.
KEM: You can’t control what’s going to happen or know how life is going to turn out, so you might as well enjoy things. That thought has helped me a lot with my anxiety – I’ve learned to relax a bit more.
‘HEALTH IS WEALTH’
CHRIS: Look after yourself – health is wealth. I love working out – not only for my body, but for my mind, too. I always feel better after going to the gym. My older brother Ben was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer [the cancer diagnosis came just months after Chris had taken part in a live testicular cancer check on This Morning]. Thankfully, we’ve since found out the cancer hasn’t spread and we’re staying positive, but it makes you realise that disease can strike anyone. It’s so important to take care of yourself and, if you ever have a health fear, to go to see a doctor.
KEM: I try to eat as cleanly as I can and work out to feel good. When you feel good, the rest of your life seems so much easier.
‘DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER’
KEM: Chris and I are very different – our backgrounds, our upbringings and previous jobs. I’m a city boy, whereas Chris lives on a farm. If you were looking at the pair of us separately, you wouldn’t think we’d be such good mates. But we’re best friends and we’re so in sync with each other, it’s scary.
CHRIS: It just goes to show that what’s important is being on the same emotional level as each other. Friendship has nothing to do with what’s on the surface, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
‘OPEN UP ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS’
KEM: I used to struggle talking to my mates about my emotions, but I’ve learned it’s so important. Chris and I talk about how we’re feeling every day. Anyone would struggle with fame, but I also suffer with anxiety, which makes it even more difficult. It’s great that Chris and I have each other. My advice for anyone suffering would be to talk to someone.
CHRIS: Don’t bottle things up. It’s vital to take care of your mental health. Kem and I open up to each other about everything and it’s been so helpful to have a friend like that.
‘FACE YOUR FEARS’
CHRIS: Being in the public eye is nervewracking. With fame comes a larger level of anxiety, but you’ve got to learn to face things and then adapt. It’s been hard, but I’ve learned that confronting the things you are feeling the most anxious about often helps.
KEM: I used to get really nervous on first dates – there have been times where I’ve even cancelled because my nerves got the better of me. I used to worry they’d think I was weird for holding my fork in my right hand or not being able to use chopsticks properly. But I’m overcoming that. Now, if I go on a date, I’ll think rationally and focus on all my good qualities.
‘MAKE TIME FOR MUM’
CHRIS: Family is everything, they’re the ones who know you best. Whenever I need a break, or I get time off, I go straight back to the West Country to see Mum. She brings me back down to earth whenever I’m feeling stressed out.
KEM: I don’t know where I’d be without my mum, Figen – she’s my favourite person. She battled a serious illness when I was a child; I was only 11 when I was told she had just 24 hours to live. Thankfully, she pulled through, but I suffered post traumatic stress disorder as a result and had therapy for the next few years. Now I’m grateful every day that she’s still here. Chris is really close with his mum too – we both love hanging out with them.
‘DATE YOUR BEST FRIEND’
KEM: I’m single right now [Kem split from fellow Love Island star Amber Davies in late 2017), but I want to meet a girl who can be my best friend, too. I want someone who likes me for me and not for everything going on around me.
CHRIS: I’m learning all the time with dating [Chris split from Olivia Attwood last year and is now dating Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson]. I agree with Kem – date your best mate, because you need to be on the same wavelength. People will always have something to say and that can complicate things in your relationship – but if you’re both on the same page, it helps. You vs Chris and Kem is on Thursdays at 9pm on ITV2