He rose to fame on Love Island in 2019 – with his tumultuous journey on the show seeing him go through an ill-fated romance with Amy Hart, before finding love and reaching the final with Maura Higgins.
And two years later, Curtis Pritchard decided to take another shot at love by starring in Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion – a new spin on the hit E4 dating show, that sees seven stars live in a house in Surrey for a month and get set up with singletons.
Curtis, 25, had previously been known as a heartbreaker in the public eye – having dumped Amy, 28, on Love Island, which resulted in her taking time out from the show for “psychological support”.
And the professional dancer has received a similar backlash during his time on Celebs Go Dating, after he began dating contestant Kesia Massey, but quickly moved on with Sophie Lincoln. Trolls branded him a “horrible sh**hole” and “cruel”, with one writing, “Can’t Curtis see what he’s doing to Kesia, he did to Amy on Love Island?”
And Curtis – whose brother is Strictly dancer AJ Pritchard – now says that despite his worries about being on another dating show and the mistakes he made, he doesn’t have any regrets.
He says, “I had reservations about doing Celebs Go Dating – but my mantra is ‘never say never’. I was single and the timing was right, and I had such a great time. I went in open-minded and to learn, which I did.
“All the trolls are right – the trolling has all been 100% correct. I won’t disagree with what they are saying. But it was part of the journey I went on in the place. I’ve always been a massive people pleaser, and I think that’s an amazing trait to have, but it’s also a bad trait unless it’s controlled and used properly. I did lead Kesia on, but not intentionally. I didn’t mean to hurt her – it was part of the journey I went on and it was a massive learning curve for me.”
Celebs Go Dating viewers also saw Curtis open up for the first time about his split from Maura, 30, who he dated for seven months before splitting in March last year.
Maura then went on to date their Love Island co-star Christopher Taylor – and speaking of the new romance, Curtis said last November, “I feel betrayed by them both – two people I was very close to. When I saw the pictures, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel hurt.”
Speaking to experts Paul Brunson and Anna Williamson on Celebs Go Dating, Curtis tearfully said, “My previous relationship wasn’t the healthiest. Maybe I don’t want to give all of my energy to somebody again and get nothing in return.”
And Curtis now tells Closer, “I was so lucky to have Anna and Paul. I really need to open up and throw myself into this whole process and that’s what I did, talking about previous relationships. It was hard to initially open up about it, but then as soon as you start, you feel so safe with Anna and Paul. When I broke down, I felt the weight had been lifted off my shoulder. It was a judgement-free zone and that’s what you want when you are trying to learn.”
Curtis on his Celebs Go Dating housemates
Curtis Pritchard on his Celebs Go Dating housemates
1 of 3Ibiza club owner Wayne Lineker, 58
"Wayne doesn't act his age sometimes – but he's genuinely a lovely guy, and never means any harm to anyone. I think he's always been around 20 or 30 year olds, from his clubbing work and everything he's achieved. But people are misreading him – he genuinely does have a heart of gold."
2 of 3Made in Chelsea star Sophie Hermann, 34
"Sophie is an 11 out of ten – she's absolutely beautiful and genuinely a princess. Everyone was attracted to her! She had her own bedroom and en-suite in the CGD mansion, and wasn't in the main bedroom like the rest of us. But she wasn't a diva – I got on so well with her."
3 of 3DJ Tom Zanetti, 31
Tom is so strong-minded and he knows a lot, because he's been through a lot. I think that's why he and Sophie [Hermann] liked each other – they're both very independent. They lead quite different lives – but they do say opposites attract. I could see it working out between them, if they gave it time."
Rumours have been swirling recently that Love Island – which garnered a whopping 5.6m viewers during the fifth series, which Curtis starred in – will be returning this year, after being cancelled last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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And Curtis now says that, if it does, he’ll be watching – and offers his advice for this year’s batch of Islanders.
He says, “There’s been a record number of applicants apparently this year and that doesn’t surprise me – Love Island’s the biggest dating show on TV. It’s an amazing show, whether you are going on to boost your career platform or find love. Both things have happened to people.
“I’d say to this year’s contestants to go in open-minded and be yourself. If something isn’t working, forget it’s a TV show and forget people are watching. Always do what is right for you. You’re not going to treat anyone wrong if you’re doing what is correct for you. Always be honest with the other person – honesty is key and if you’re true to yourself, you’ll have no regrets.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.