Love Island stars reveal major relationship milestone – 3 months after leaving the villa
Welsh sweethearts Nicole Samuel and Ciaran Davies have been living in a bubble over the last few months as they adjust to life in the real world after a successful stint on Love Island. The duo met on day one of the ITV2 dating show this summer and made it to the final, nabbing second place behind co-stars Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan, falling in love on the way.
Stopping for an exclusive chat on the Pride Of Britain Awards red carpet, Nicole and Ciaran told OK! they can’t quite believe how things have worked out. “The last few months have been so special, we’re just so grateful for everything,” says Nicole, 24, who looked stunning for the evening in an embellished silver gown with pearl drop-sleeves. By her side, Ciaran, 21, looked dapper in a black suit and matching shirt, as the clearly smitten pair stood with their arms intertwined.
“We’re feeling so honoured to be here, I know it’s going to be an emotional night, I’m a crier!” says Nicole as she looks around at London’s celeb-filled Grosvenor House Hotel. The couple had an overnight rise to fame in the villa, and admit it has taken time to adjust to the limelight, but they couldn’t be more grateful.
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“We had a really positive reaction coming out, we didn’t expect people to take to us so much, the love that we’ve had is unbelievable,” Nicole says. “You look at [Love Island] on a TV screen and it’s like, ‘Oh, it’ll be easy’ but it’s a lot harder than you think. You go in and have no phone but then come out and have all these people talking to you and following you on social media, it is a lot. But it’s amazing. Being in there is so amazing, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
One thing that has been helpful for the duo is the number of ex-Islanders who have reached out with their support, as Ciaran explains, “A lot of the male Islanders have messaged me and reached out to check how I am and support me, which is really nice to have.
“One thing that we didn’t expect is that if you’ve been on Love Island, no matter which season you’ve been on, you’re all automatically in a family. It can be a really good support system to have when you’re coming out to so much.” Nicole adds, “Yeah, we’ve all been through the same experience so I think they all have an understanding of everything that’s gone on.
“It’s something that no one else can really understand.” Despite the Love Island villa bringing together singles from all over the UK, South Wales natives Nicole and Ciaran already only lived 30 minutes apart before they met.
And showing that it really does work for some, the couple haven’t left each other’s side since they got back from Majorca. “We’re still in Wales, you’ve moved into my house now, haven’t you?” says Nicole as she turns to her beau. Confirming, Ciaran adds, “Yeah, we just went with what felt natural when we left the show and that was living together. I think it would be weirder if we came back and separated because we were living together for so long in the villa, so it’s been really good.”
But change could be on the horizon, as Nicole teases, “We are thinking of moving to London, it is on the cards. There’s a lot of work here but we just need to wait and see. We’re going with the flow.”
After their success story, Nicole and Ciaran are keen to encourage anyone thinking about taking part in Love Island to not think twice about doing it. “I would say to anyone, ‘Go for it. If you’re going to go, just do it and don’t take it for granted,’” Nicole says. “I’d say to be yourself and stay true to what you want. People can tell if you’re not being yourself and nothing can go wrong if you’re genuine.”
“Just enjoy it as well, you’ll meet mates for life and have the best experience, that’s all I would say to anyone thinking about it,” echoes Ciaran.
