Latest news with #DesignatedUglyFatFriend
Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Virgin Island stars' hidden romance revealed as Channel 4 releases finale early
Two of Virgin Island's singles who featured on the ground-breaking Channel 4 show updated viewers on what happened between them after the series finished filming Channel 4's boundary-pushing reality series Virgin Island dropped its anticipated finale early, and with it came a surprising romantic twist involving two of the show's stars. Emma and Viraj, who both opened up about their insecurities on the show, were revealed to have gone on a date after leaving the island in the final credits. Channel 4 shared: "Emma and Viraj went on a date and are now travelling in Australia but separately." The surprise revelation came at the end of an already explosive finale, which saw 24-year-old accountant Dave become the one cast member to lose his virginity during the series. Dave was guided into physical intimacy by somatic practitioner Kat Slade in the island's tranquil "zen den". Since filming wrapped, he has entered a new relationship, and credits Virgin Island with helping him find the confidence to pursue it. While Dave's story has grabbed headlines, it is also interesting to see what became of Emma and Viraj after their brief off-screen romance, which sadly did not pan out. Emma, 23, who described herself as the "DUFF" (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) during filming, has had a significant transformation. She has gained confidence and admitted to exploring intimacy since leaving the show, and has been sharing bold videos on TikTok that she would have felt insecure about before. One clip shows her rocking a short skirt with the caption: "Not missing out on wearing a skirt because my legs are too long." While chatting to the Sun about her brief romantic moment with Viraj, Emma admitted: "I'm not in the right mindset for a relationship – there is a lot I need to work on." Viraj, 25, has also changed a lot since the show aired. He has been focusing on his fitness journey and mental health, which led to him shedding weight in 2024 and gaining the confidence he once lacked. He recently addressed the wave of online memes and negativity that followed the show's airing in a candid video that he posted to Instagram. In it he shared: "The reason I went on the show was more of a personal one. A while back I went through a really tough rejection, and I guess that just really shook me and I held onto it. "I think it changed how I interacted with women and I just shut down. I didn't feel like I was good enough, and that feeling just stuck with me. My mates saw the application to apply for the show and they encouraged me to apply and somehow I managed to end up being on it, which is insane." He added that his focus when going on the reality series was not necessarily to have sex, but mainly to "just feel okay being me around women". Viraj went on to thank the Channel 4 therapists that coached him through his insecurities on the series, saying: "I've come out of my shell so much more and I feel way more confident. I feel like I can open myself up very well and that growth, whatever that was that I did on the island, it changed me and I can't thank the therapists enough for those one-to-one workshops."
Cosmopolitan
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Where are the Virgin Island cast now? A year on from filming, here's what the participants are doing today
After three, very intense weeks, Virgin Island will come to an end tonight (with a literal bang for one of the participants!) The show kicked off on Monday 12th May, and quickly divided viewers, with some calling it "creepy" and "excruciating", which the show's therapists defended. A leading sex expert told Cosmopolitan UK exclusively what the show gets right and wrong, with the title being its biggest set back. Over six episodes, the 12 adult virgins took part in several workshops in a bid to overcome their sexual insecurities. They were also given sex surrogates to explore with if they wished to. The show was actually filmed a year ago, which means a lot of time has passed, and a lot has happened in the lives of the participants. So, where are the cast now? From Dave to Emma, here's where the Virgin Island cast are today and what they've been up to in the last 12 months. Food worker Emma, 23, described herself as the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) when she joined the show. A year on, and it looks she's had a major confidence boost. She's been travelling a lot since leaving the show and recently posted a TikTok of her wearing a short skirt, with the caption "not missing out on wearing a skirt because my legs are too long" - too right! The only contestant to lose his virginity on the show, Dave is now in a relationship with a girl named Katie and they've been together for six months. Asked how his moves in the bedroom have improved, he told The Sun: "Some of them aren't amazing. But my girlfriend is happy. Our first time together was amazing." He continued: "I never would have been able to talk to her without this show. But I don't think my girlfriend will watch, for obvious reasons. She watched the first four episodes, but it's getting a bit much now. You don't want to see your partner with someone else, even if it was a year ago. "She's openly said it's like watching a completely different person." Viewers will see Dave lose his virginity in the show's finale, as he's guided by sex expert, Kat. After the show, Dave slept with two more women. As Dave was the only participant to lose his virginity, the group chat name was changed to Virgins and Dave, but it gets updated any time one of them does the deed. Since appearing on the show, Viraj has been travelling and focusing on his fitness journey after losing a lot of weight in 2024. He recently spoke out about his experience on Virgin Island, hitting back at negative comments. "I wanted to make this video because there's been a lot of attention on Virgin Island and since I was a part of it. I've been seeing the jokes, I've been seeing the memes and I've been seeing some pretty harsh comments, so I just wanna share my experience and be honest and open with everyone," he said in a video posted to his Instagram grid. Viraj revealed that he joined the show for "personal reasons" following a "tough rejection" and that it wasn't about "sex" for him, but rather to gain confidence. "My goal was to work on my confidence, to work on my social skills, and just feeling okay being me around women," he said. He continued: "And honestly the experience changed me. I've come out of my shell so much more and I feel way more confident. I feel like I can open myself up very well and that growth, whatever that was that I did on the island, it changed me and I can't thank the therapists enough for those one-to-one workshops. It changed me massively." Civil service worker Ben was the oldest participant on the show. The now 31-year-old didn't lose his virginity on the show, but has since spoken out about his reasons for taking part. In an interview with The Times, he opened up about being bullied in the past and thanked Channel 4 for the way the sensitive topic was handled. He said: "If this show helps to clear even a fraction of the stigma associated with being an adult virgin, it will have all been worth it. "Even if it doesn't, I know I got a lot out of it and I don't regret taking part at all." Touchphobic Jason has come a long way since appearing on Virgin Island. In the first episode, he struggled to even graze another person's hand. He had a miraculous turnaround when he became the first person to strip in front of the others, saying "YOLO". While he didn't leave the show quite the "sex god" he said he would, he left with a lot more confidence. Speaking in an interview, he said: "I've met a lot of people now and it's hard to put into words just how happy I am about this." He added to The Sun: "If I'd never done the show, I would still be sitting there, in summer, long sleeves, coat on in Margate. I'd be on the beach with a cold one." Nowadays, you can find Jason poking fun at himself on TikTok, saying in a recent video that he's a "grower not a shower". It looks like the admin worker has changed fields and is now working in farming, based on various pictures on his Instagram which show him working with horses and cows. He's also earned a lot of new followers on TikTok, with fans dubbing him the "funniest" contestant on the show. Drama student Tom, 24, has been spending lots of time with his pals since leaving the show. He's also been watching episodes of Virgin Island and commenting on them on his TikTok where he shares funny videos on events from the show. He recently shared the full version of his fantasy story, which viewers didn't get to see on the show. Dog groomer Holly was 23 at the time of going on the Channel 4 show. Unlike the other cast members, she hasn't posted much on her Instagram about her time on the show, but she looks like she's been having a great time since filming wrapped. In her bio, Holly says she "decided to start being hot again" and she's been posting lots of glam selfies. She recently posted a picture of her paragliding and has been doing some travelling as well. You go, Holly! Virgin Island airs on Channel 4 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
