Love Island contestant loving life back home in Wales
CALLUM SAYS BEING IN LONDON AFTER TIME ON SERIES WAS A ‘REAL CULTURE SHOCK’
MANY people who appear on ITV’s hit show Love Island become embroiled in the glitz and glamour of photo shoots, brand deals and TV appearances – but many soon learn that the showbiz lifestyle is not always what it’s cracked up to be.
One person who dipped his toes into the big city life is season five star Callum Macleod, who has settled back down in Bridgend.
Callum, 32, went on the show in 2019, when he was 28. His short but sweet experience lasted five days before he left after being coupled up with Amber Rose Gill who went on to win the show that year.
He also had conversations with one of the UK’s biggest influencers, Molly Mae, who also appeared on the show, who said at the time: “I definitely want to get to know him a little bit better.”
Despite not finding love on the show, Callum now lives with his fiancée Jade Olivia in the Bridgend home they bought six months ago.
After appearing on the show, Callum moved to London for six months due to the level of demand for him to take part in media appearances and brand deals, but quickly realised it was not for him as his heart was still back home.
He told Wales on Sunday: “London was just such a different place to Bridgend. Real culture shock.
“I loved it – really enjoyed it but I much prefer Wales and Bridgend. Logistically I think it’s brilliant. You’re stuck in the middle of Swansea and Cardiff – two big cities in Wales, you’re 10 minutes away from the coast, it’s ideal for where I work straight down the M4 and I love how friendly people are down here.”
Callum lives in the village of Coity, and grew up not far away in Brackla where his parents still live.
Discussing his love for Bridgend, Callum said: “Everyone knows each other and everyone’s happy to have a chat. And nothing against London life and that pace of life but I love how slow it is here, and how relaxed it is and just really enjoy it – and I don’t think I could live anywhere else.”
Now settled with his soon-to-be wife Jade, the couple who have been together for more than two years shared the news with their thousands of followers on Saturday, October 15, last year that they would be getting married.
Callum posted his proposal video on Instagram, showing the couple sharing a romantic sunset picnic together when he surprises her by getting down on one knee.
Callum said: “We’ve been living together in this house for six months now and we love it. The house has four bedrooms and although it’s just the two of us living here at the moment, when we saw it we kind of saw it as a house we would have forever as we love the layout and logistically it was really good so grabbed it when we could.”
Coming back home was also a learning curve for Callum, as he says he was unaware of how much attention would soon surround him when he came out of the villa.
He said: “It was crazy. I didn’t really know the power of the show – I was very naive to that world and very sheltered. I didn’t apply to go on the show and it just came my way. I was on a night out in Cardiff and got approached to be on it so went for a chat in London to find out more and within a week or two said they’d love to have me on it.
“I wasn’t prepared for it – I didn’t have a clue what was going on and went on it open-minded, and when I came back I went shopping in Cardiff and people were recognising me. I think because I was just a normal, Welsh guy they were loving it.”
Despite his spell of fame, Callum was keen to get back to normality and quickly returned to his day job as an aircraft engineer.
He said: “I never went on it to change my life or to get a career out of it. I was always going to go back to my work which I love to do... I live a normal life, I’m up for work every morning and go to the gym and enjoy my weekends with my partner but I like that side of things. I like normality and the simple life, and I was a little bit scared of going on the show because I didn’t want to lose that.”
We also asked Callum if any of the other stars from Love Island that year have caught the Bridgend bug, to which he replied: “I don’t think any of them have actually come down. We all talked about it but when you actually come out everyone’s so busy and everyone does their own things and the first couple of months is mad.
“You see each other at event after event after event in London or Manchester or wherever they’re at but when everyone settles back into their career or what they want to do long term it’s hard to catch up with people but you still see people now and again at events and you catch up with them but nah, no one’s visited.
“I always say how beautiful it is down here and they should come but everyone’s just so, so busy.”