Another year, another reality TV crossover. This time it’s Love Island x TOWIE as season 11 star Matilda Draper – who left the villa with candyman Sean Stone – is joining boyfriend of four months Roman Hackett in Essex.
They chat to Closer about their reality romance, even teasing their nicknames for each other…
You two seem to have gone from strength to strength since revealing your relationship in December!
R: When you know, you know. When you’re in love, you’re in love!
M: We’ve spent so much time around each other. All of my friends see Ro as one of their friends – they love him to bits. All of his family and my family are really close too.
You’re a part of the TOWIE family now, Matilda, but you didn’t join the cast on their trip to Bali. How was it being apart from Roman while he was filming there?
M: I really missed him. It was the longest we’d been apart. I got him a top with my face plastered all over it and also pants with my face. I told him he wasn’t allowed to take them off!
Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you two meet?
R: I met Tilda’s best mate while I was in Ibiza and I used to message her saying how nice her friend is – that was the start of it. Tilda and I eventually met at a party and we had a little kiss. Then, randomly, we were both in Dubai on our own at the same time in November, and we saw each other every day, so we kind of bonded out there. We never planned it.
Ever since then it’s just blossomed. We went on a few dates and then I asked her to be my girlfriend about a month later.
How long had you been single before meeting Roman, Matilda?
M: I broke up with Sean a month after we left the villa. Before that, my ex was two years prior. When you come out of the villa, you work out who people are in real life, rather than in that bubble. You learn if it’s going to work or not.
Are you and Sean still on good terms?
M: Sean and I are on good terms and I hope he’s really happy. Everyone in that series, I don’t have a bad word to say about any of them.
The new series of The Only Way Is Essex starts on Sunday 23 February at 9pm on ITVBe & ITVX
