Just because they’re no longer in the villa it doesn’t mean that we’re no longer interested in who the Love Island lot are cracking on and coupling up with. Whether it’s savage splits or new romances, the love lives of former Islanders often make the headlines.
Take Love Island 2021’s Faye Winter, for example. She recently sparked rumours she was dating former TOWIE lothario and Strictly 2024 star Pete Wicks after they were spotted looking cosy at Vicky Pattinson’s wedding.
Faye shared a snap of herself and Pete with his arms wrapped around her as Vicky and her now-husband Ercan Ramadan tied the knot in London last month, which had fans speculating that there was a new crossover reality romance on the cards.
The 2021 Islander has now spoken out about the rumours while chatting exclusively to Closer online on the red carpet at the National Reality TV Awards in London earlier this week.
Speaking about her relationship with Pete, Faye told us, ‘I have to say this all the time and I’m like, he’s one of my closest friends in the industry.
‘He loves dogs, I love dogs, we’ve got so much in common. I adore everything that he does and he’s really funny and he doesn’t try to be anything that he’s not, so he’s just a great person.’
So Faye and Pete are just friends, then?
‘Oh my god, yes,’ she continued. ‘Oh my God, that would be weird [if we dated].’
Faye isn’t the only Love Island star that Pete’s been linked to in recent weeks, as he was also pictured appearing to kiss Love Island 2019 star turned Love Island USA Aftersun host Maura Higgins.
However, Maura shut down the speculation earlier this week when she shared a picture of herself posing next to Pete’s BFF Sam Thompson while wearing a t-shirt with a picture of herself and Pete snuggling up to each other and the words ‘we can’t be friends’ on it.
WATCH Faye Winter speaks out on Pete Wicks dating rumours
Nathan Katnoria is heat and Closer online’s senior digital writer. He became obsessed with Love Island when Malin Andersson came back to confront Terry Walsh in series two and hasn’t looked back since. When he’s not interviewing former Islanders, Nathan is scrolling through their Instagram feeds for relationship updates and piping hot tea.