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

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:

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• adam collard
• love island
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