The latest series of Love Island is well and truly behind us – RIP – but at least the Love Island 2024 finalists are still doing the press rounds, which means the Closer team were lucky enough to sit down and really get to know runner-up sweethearts, Ciaran Davies and Nicole Samuel.
Aside from Ciaran's very brief dalliance with Harriett Blackmore, the OGs have been together from day dot, and watching their love story bloom has been like watching some beautifully sickening eight-week rom com movie.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, it is definitely love. In fact, after meeting them, we can confidently say it's giving forever.
As much as we love a bit of love, we love a bit of unfiltered tea-spilling even more. And, boy, did they spill tea in our London studio. Don't worry, guys, we'll clean it up...
During their chat with us they, of course, made a few comments on Mr Joey Essex - the celebrity bombshell whom, at times, Ciaran didn't see eye to eye with.
It didn't take long for Nicole and Ciaran to lift the lid on one very 'strange' Joey scene - you know, the one where he went rogue and snogged Nicole in the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge, right in front of Nicole plus Joey's bae, Jessy Potts.
During a conversation about Joey just trying to "make good TV" on the series, Nicole exclusively told us, "Well, it does, doesn't it? Who's going to kiss someone's girlfriend in front of the boyfriend's face? It's going to bring the drama, isn't it? It was strange at the time. I was like, 'Joey, what's going on?' His, technically, girlfriend was stood literally there...when you say it like that, yeah, I suppose it makes good TV."
Ciaran then added (and did not hold back, we might add), "For me, I don't know anything about this producer talk and stuff, everything I've done – the good and the bad – has been me. So, even if producers or production is in somebody's ear, you've still got to expect the reaction back. You can't just say, 'Oh, production told me to do it.' You've still done it.
"I will give it to Joey and Sean [Stone], without them the series may have been boring. They were the boys that were stirring the pot, so fair play to them. They did a good series. But if you're going to give it, you've got to expect it back."
And give it back Ciaran did.
We won't lie, we're still swooning a bit.
WATCH: Love Island's Hugo spills the tea on the Islanders re-filming scenes 👀
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 Big Brother, 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 💅