Love Island star has very unexpected connection to boxing icon Anthony Joshua
EXCLUSIVE: Tommy Bradley is one of the singletons who is looking for love on the new series of Love Island, which kicks off tonight - and he's got some huge connections
Tommy Bradley is ready to make his mark as he enters the villa tonight alongside 11 other hopefuls for the launch of the show's 12th series - and he's already packing some heavyweight connections.
The 24-year-old fitness buff from London just so happens to have brushed shoulders with boxing royalty. Yep, none other than Anthony Joshua. While he hasn't met him just yet, Tommy's brother works closely with the boxer.
But it's not just AJ-level abs Tommy's proud of – it's that signature slicked-back hair. 'It sounds weird,' he confessed, 'but I blow-dry it for 20–25 minutes, style it, hairspray it, and sleep in a woolly hat to keep it in place.' Yes, really.
He even ruled out shaving it off for a date challenge. 'No chance. It's my best feature. I've had the same haircut since I was a kid!' So why sign up? 'All my mates are in relationships - I'm the last single one,' he said. 'Why not go away, meet new people, have a fantastic summer, and maybe come back with a girlfriend? No-brainer.'
He packed eight pairs of swim shorts and hit the gym hard in prep, bumping up the weights and making sure he was villa-ready. But if you're wondering whether Tommy's more lover or fighter, the truth is... he's not quite either yet. 'I've never been in a proper serious relationship,' he admits. 'Just situationships that fizzled out after a few months. I've never even said 'I love you' - unless you count my mum and my nan.'
And speaking of mum, she didn't hold back before his villa debut. 'She actually brought up the sex thing and said, 'If you do, I'll be watching,'' Tommy reveals. Awkward. As for whether he'll go there on-screen? 'I'm not saying I will… but if the moment is right, maybe. Who knows?'
ITV's Love Island has a string of secret sex rules, which the saucy singletons must follow. The new series of the smash-hit dating show, which kicks off tonight, is sure to be one of the steamiest yet after bosses revealed that sex scenes would be aired i n the Hideaway for the first time this summer.
The jaw-dropping move has divided viewers, with some saying they don't know want to see what pops up beneath the sheets under the Spanish sun. However, others, think the rule change is just what the new series needs as executive producer Mike Spencer said: "If sex happens, we'll show it. The Hideaway will be open 24 hours. We need to keep the show fresh and exciting."
'After 10 years, the stats speak for themselves. The show will continue to thrive. We the producers need to stay ahead of the curve. The whole 'twists and turns' thing is about making the show fresh. We're going to give it all we've got.' Well, mission accomplished.
Host Maya Jama, back with her signature sass and slay, said: 'I feel like they forgot last year that you could come in the Hideaway at any time. We did tell them, but they kept forgetting!' Not anymore, Maya.
Megan Moore, who goes by Meg, is a 25-year-old payroll specialist from Southampton, told us: 'It's not ideal to be having it on telly, but you don't know because you're in that bubble. If it comes naturally, then it happens. You can't ever never say never.'
Meanwhile, Sophie Lee, a 29-year-old former fire breather, influencer and motivational speaker from Manchester, is taking a different route: 'I am celibate. I've practiced celibacy throughout my dating life. It'll take a really hot guy to change that! For me, intimacy is giving a piece of my soul. If I'm not in a confident place, it's my problem - not his."
"I've gone over 8 months celibate now, I was two years celebate before, and I'm proud of that. I only want to have sex when I truly want to - not out of pressure.'
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