It's wild to think that Love Island: All Stars 2025 wrapped just a few short weeks ago, isn't it? Back in January and February we lived and breathed everything about that South African villa and everyone residing in it and yet we'd forgotten all about the show until we saw Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu slaying yet another red carpet last night (Thursday 20 March).
Predictably, the second All Stars was not short of drama; from Ronnie Vint and Harriett Blackmore doing their best to relight their fire after a messy split, to that week where male Islanders were dropping like flies, there was never a dull moment in the 2025 villa. But let's be honest, that's mainly due to the tension between couples Ekin-Su x Curtis Pritchard and Elma Pazar x Sammy Root.
It was all going swimmingly until Ekin-Su decided to kiss Elma's man in the heart rate challenge. Then it all started sinking – and everyone with it.
Elma and Ekin-Su just couldn't get their friendship back on track after that, and the boys were so busy defending their ladies they couldn't even enjoy a game of Padel together a few days before the final (and Love Island boys f*cking LOVE Padel).
But, you know what? It's been a few weeks now; the dust has settled, they've all had some breathing room, and don't they say that time is the greatest healer?
They may say that, but Ekin-Su sure as hell does not. After catching up with the Love Island: All Stars finalist at the Smiley Charity Film Awards in London, Closer can assure you she is definitely not bosom buddies with Elma and Sammy right now. In fact, she 'doesn't really see them much', but good news, if she bumped into them on the street she'd definitely at least think about saying 'howdy'.
When asked who she was still in touch with from her series of All Stars, Ekin-Su told us, 'I speak to Catherine [Agbaje].'
Fair. Queen.
She continued, 'I wish them all the best. I mean, I don't really see them much, so when the time is right, I will definitely see them on the street and say hi.'
On the street? Oh, Ekin. If shade-throwing was an Olympic category...
Speaking of the support her and Curtis have received from the public since the show wrapped, Ekin gushed, 'I'm just very grateful, let’s put it that way. I’m very grateful. It means a lot to me that people believe in our journey and they’re supporting us.'
WATCH: Ekin-Su and Curtis expose the worst things about living in the Love Island villa and is it just us or is being an Islander not all it’s cracked up to be?
Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Bauer Media, writing for both Closer online and heatworld. When he's not getting paid to gossip about TOWIE, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, he's storming the London LGBTQ+ scene as drag queen, Beary Poppins, or co-hosting Spill The Fizz podcast alongside Traitors legend, Diane Carson. Both Ben and Beary are awaiting an invite to join The Real Housewives of Cheshire for series 18. The budget's not there, but the drama is 💅.