Very few Love Island bombshells have played the game quite as well as Love Island 2022 winner and effortless queen, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu. She's a Turkish actress turned Love Island star turned Celebrity Big Brother housemate turn All Stars bombshell. Is there anything she can't do, we ask you?
Despite saying she would never return to Love Island – and essentially coming for the show on national television while on CBB – to our utter delight, Ekin had a change of heart and stunned Love Island fans on Monday 13 January 2025 when she became the first bombshell to enter the All Stars 2025 villa.
Almost immediately, Ekin was drawn to Love Island 2019 star Curtis Pritchard (never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we'd be writing that sentence) and the couple made it all the way to the final together. Now here's the real bombshell – they're still together. In fact, Ekin-Su and Curtis are going from strength to strength IRL. And we've seen that 'heart rate challenge sexual chemistry' first hand, btw...
But what's next for this telly icon? Surely she's running out of reality shows at this point? Please. The sky's the limit when you're the queen, bb.
Who is Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu?
A Love Island icon, obvs. The bombshell won Love Island 2022 alongside her then-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti. She returned to the franchise for All Stars 2025 and made it to the final alongside now-boyfriend, Curtis.
How old is Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu?
Ekin-Su is 30 years old. Her birthday is 21 August 1994, making her a Leo. Of course.
Where is Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu from?
She is from Islington, London, but her family are from Turkey.
What does Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu do for a living?
Ekin-Su is a quintuple threat; she's an actress, influencer, author, model and reality star. Fun fact, she was an actress in Turkey once upon a time, starring on a programme called Kuzey Yildizi.
Since leaving the villa in 2022 she went on to become an ambassador for Oh Polly, but they've since parted ways. She's also an ambassador for BPerfect Cosmetics and the British Red Cross.
She has taken part in countless reality TV shows including Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing on Ice and most recently, Love Island: All Stars.
She has her own book out called, Be Your Own Best Friend: And Other Lessons from a Life in and Out of the Limelight.
Are Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti still together?
No, the pair are no longer together. After briefly splitting up in June 2023, they rekindled their romance two months later, but have since called it quits for good.
While they were together, they shared a home and debuted their own reality series, Ekin-Su & Davide: Homecomings on ITV. In all honesty, it wasn't that great, but we'll take any opportunity to just stare at these two for an hour.
Who did Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu couple up with on Love Island 2022?
Although Ekin-Su had her sights set on Davide from the second she stepped foot inside the villa on day three, she also had a fiery fling with Scottish adonis Jay Younger, the briefest of flirts with Charlie Radnedge, and an alleged ten-minutes under a Casa Amor duvet with George Tasker.
Was Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu on Love Island: All Stars 2025?
She WAS Love Island: All Stars 2025. This series was full of icons. But Ekin-Su was a major player.
Ekin-Su entered the All Stars villa on day one as the series' first bombshell and BOOM. She chose to take Curtis, Scott Thomas and Ronnie Vint out on dates, but felt a stronger connection with Curtis and they finished the series in third place (despite a minor roadblock in the form of Danielle Sellers). The rest, as they say, is history.
Speaking about why she wanted to return to the show, she told producers, 'I want to return to Love Island again because it’s where my journey started and has a special place in my heart. It’s somewhere I’ve laughed, cried and learnt so much. The fact that there's an opportunity to do it again - why not! Why can’t a winner go back in and re-write her story and have a second chance?! I think you should follow your gut and my gut is telling me to go back, so I’m listening to it.'
Are Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Elma Pazar friends?
All signs are pointing to, erm, no. The girls were as thick as thieves in the villa before Ekin-Su kissed Elma Pazar's man Sammy Root in the heart rate challenge. They haven't been spotted together since the series wrapped.
Are Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Curtis Pritchard still together?
Yes. The finalists are still going strong IRL.
Was Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu on Dancing on Ice?
Ekin-Su competed on Dancing on Ice in early 2023, but she was eliminated in week four after going up against EastEnders star Patsy Palmer.
Was Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu on The Traitors?
What a match made in heaven - the Love Island winner did appear on the celebrity US version of The Traitors at the end of 2023. It is absolutely worth a watch for her dramatic betrayal and death (spoilers, soz).
Was Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu on Celebrity Big Brother?
This woman loves a reality show, and we're not complaining. We would watch her on Antiques Roadshow at this point. We wouldn't, but we'd write about it.
When it was announced that CBB would be making a comeback, fans (us included) were understandably buzzed. Our excitement reached embarrassing levels when it was announced that Ekin-Su would join the CBB reboot.
Ekin-Su came in ninth place and was evicted from the house on day twelve.
What's Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu's Instagram handle?
You can follow Ekin-Su at @ekinsuofficial.
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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. 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 💅.