Love Island's Adam Collard says he's a 'changed man' ahead of Celebs Go Dating

Adam enjoyed two stints in the Love Island villa

Author: Charlotte RoszkoPublished 18th Jul 2023

Love Island star Adam Collard has described himself as a 'changed man' after opening up on what he's learned after his two stints on the hit ITV2 dating show. The 27-year-old entered the Love Island villa in 2018 and 2022 and is now set to star in the upcoming series of Celebs Go Dating.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, Adam said: "I've caused drama in the past and trying to learn from that."

Describing what he's learned from reality TV, Adam said: "I've learned that I love it and I need it. It's a tricky one. In the past, my defence mechanisms made me pretend I live this 'party boy lifestyle', but if you saw me at home, I'm completely different. I've learned from that.

"I'm more confident in myself now, and I no longer have to be the loudest person in the room. I know what I bring to the table.

"I know I’ve played up in the past – everyone knows what happened on Love Island in 2018 – and people still expect that. I know people have opinions about me but honestly, if you put anyone in that situation, it’s difficult."

Adam famously returned to the Love Island villa for a second stint on the show in 2022, where he coupled up with Paige Thorne. Like Adam, current Islander Kady McDermott is also on her second Love Island appearance - having previously starred in the show in 2016.

Speaking about the experience of returning to the villa, Adam said: "It was always going to be really difficult for Kady going back in. I can totally see why she said yes, though. I did it, too – it’s an amazing opportunity.

"I’ll be honest, I probably wasn’t in the best place at the time to go back in there and find a connection. Plus, Kady is even older than me in terms of Love Island years and, if I found the jump between my original series and going back in tough, I can’t imagine what she’s going through."

He explained: "The biggest problem now, I think, is there are too many people asking, 'How much do you get paid for this?' The reason people go on the show just isn’t real any more. Seasons four and five were probably the most successful because no one really cared about being famous. We made our own arguments and love stories because it was genuine, with real feelings. I don’t think you get that now as people just want to be the next Love Island star."

Adam has now started filming for the upcoming series of Celebs Go Dating, which also features fellow Love Island star Chloe Burrows. The show's start date is yet to be confirmed.

He said: "It’s going great. I’m someone who will grab any opportunity and, when I got offered this, I had to say yes. I thought, I’m going to learn something about myself, and if I find somebody, then that would be a bonus.

"Things are very under wraps for the moment, but what I will say is there are a lot more shocks, twists and turns than viewers will be expecting, especially compared to past seasons. They’ve spiced things up. There are some real testing moments coming up."

Take a look at the cast of Celebs Go Dating series 12:

Adam Collard

Adam Collard appeared on Love Island back in 2018, the year that Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham won the show. He left the villa in a relationship with Zara McDermott, however the pair split shortly after they returned to the UK.

Chloe Burrows

Another Love Island alumni, Chloe Burrows, has joined the Celebs Go Dating line-up in the hope for love. She left the villa in a relationship with Toby Aromolaran, however the pair split after a 13-month romance.

Lottie Moss

Model Lottie Moss is the half sister of Kate Moss and landed her first Vogue cover in 2016.

Mark-Francis Vandelli

Mark-Francis Vandelli starred in Made In Chelsea throughout the entire run of the series. He's also appeared in several other TV shows such as The Jump and Come Dine with Me.

Spuddz

Spuddz is a vlogger and comedian. He currently boasts over 32K subscribers on YouTube, as well as over 232K on Instagram.

Vanessa Feltz

Vanessa Feltz has appeared on many TV shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Big Brother and This Morning. Now, as she's looking for love, it's time for her to appear on Celebs Go Dating.

Now read:

Celebs Go Dating line-up REVEALED including two Love Island stars

Rita Ora is heading into the Love Island villa

Love Island final date 'revealed'

How to listen to Cool FM:

Tune into Northern Ireland’s number 1 for music, Cool FM on 97.4FM, online, on our Rayo app, your DAB radio, or say ‘Play Cool FM’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the biggest hits from the world’s hottest artists, from Pete Snodden in the morning to the NI Hit 40.