Latest news with #FranCosgrave
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Love Island winner looks unrecognisable with big bushy beard 20 years after winning the show – do know who it is?
He's opened up about his decision to turn his back on fame island og Love Island winner looks unrecognisable with big bushy beard 20 years after winning the show – do know who it is? THE first ever winner of Love Island looked unrecognisable as he showed off a big bushy beard 20 years after doing the show. Celebrity Love Island kicked off in 2005 and starred famous faces including Atomic Kitten's Liz McClarnon and EastEnders hunk Michael Greco. 3 Fran Cosgrave looked very different in a new social media snap Credit: Instagram 3 He starred in the very first series of Celebrity Love Island in 2005 Credit: ITV 3 He won the series with TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss Credit: Shutterstock But it was Fran Cosgrave - who at the time was a former bodyguard of boyband Westlife - and TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss who won the show. Now two decades on Fran, 47, looks very different from his time in the luxury Fiji villa in a new social media snap. Before heading into the villa he dated Natasha Hamilton from 2001 until 2002, and the former couple share son Josh, 21. But Fran made the decision to quit fame and lives mostly out of the spotlight these days. He made the switch from TV to music and is a producer and DJ for house scene trio the Futuristic Polar Bears. Fran founded the group and they've been on several tours playing gigs and making appearances at nightclubs all over the world. Speaking to Jennifer Zamparelli on RTE 2FM, he said: "You can't take it [fame] too seriously because it's gone as quick as it comes. "As it came towards 2009, things just started to spin out of control a bit, as it does. I was kind of finished with the whole celebrity thing. "I started saying, 'no' to loads of programmes and I just wasn't interested in it. "My manager, rightly so, was like, 'Mate why won't you do any of these things?' I was just like, 'I'm not there anymore.'" Love Island USA's Vanna flaunts curves in sexy low-cut dress as she dumps Ace - but fans 'can't get over' his reaction Celebrity Love Island returned for a second series in 2006, this time starring the likes of Eternal singer and Loose Women star Kelle Bryan and Boyzone's Shane Lynch. But it was models Bianca Gascoigne and Calum Best who won the final series ahead of its cancellation.
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Love Island winner looks unrecognisable with big bushy beard 20 years after winning the show – do know who it is?
THE first ever winner of Love Island looked unrecognisable as he showed off a big bushy beard 20 years after doing the show. Celebrity Love Island kicked off in 2005 and starred famous faces including Atomic Kitten's Advertisement 3 Fran Cosgrave looked very different in a new social media snap Credit: Instagram 3 He starred in the very first series of Celebrity Love Island in 2005 Credit: ITV 3 He won the series with TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss Credit: Shutterstock But it was Now two decades on Fran, 47, looks very different from his time in the luxury Fiji villa in a new social media snap. Before heading into the villa he dated Natasha Hamilton from 2001 until 2002, and the former couple share son Josh, 21. But Fran made the decision to quit fame and lives mostly out of the spotlight these days. Advertisement More on Fran Cosgrave He made the switch from TV to music and is a producer and DJ for house scene trio the Futuristic Polar Bears. Fran founded the group and they've been on several tours playing gigs and making appearances at nightclubs all over the world. Speaking to Jennifer Zamparelli on RTE 2FM, he said: "You can't take it [fame] too seriously because it's gone as quick as it comes. "As it came towards 2009, things just started to spin out of control a bit, as it does. I was kind of finished with the whole celebrity thing. Advertisement Most read in Love Island "I started saying, 'no' to loads of programmes and I just wasn't interested in it. "My manager, rightly so, was like, 'Mate why won't you do any of these things?' I was just like, 'I'm not there anymore.'" Love Island USA's Vanna flaunts curves in sexy low-cut dress as she dumps Ace - but fans 'can't get over' his reaction Celebrity Love Island returned for a second series in 2006, this time starring the likes of Eternal singer and Loose Women star But it was models Bianca Gascoigne and Calum Best who won the final series ahead of its cancellation. Advertisement
The Sun
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island winner looks unrecognisable with big bushy beard 20 years after winning the show – do know who it is?
THE first ever winner of Love Island looked unrecognisable as he showed off a big bushy beard 20 years after doing the show. Celebrity Love Island kicked off in 2005 and starred famous faces including Atomic Kitten 's Liz McClarnon and EastEnders hunk Michael Greco. 3 3 3 But it was Fran Cosgrave - who at the time was a former bodyguard of boyband Westlife - and TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss who won the show. Now two decades on Fran, 47, looks very different from his time in the luxury Fiji villa in a new social media snap. Before heading into the villa he dated Natasha Hamilton from 2001 until 2002, and the former couple share son Josh, 21. But Fran made the decision to quit fame and lives mostly out of the spotlight these days. He made the switch from TV to music and is a producer and DJ for house scene trio the Futuristic Polar Bears. Fran founded the group and they've been on several tours playing gigs and making appearances at nightclubs all over the world. Speaking to Jennifer Zamparelli on RTE 2FM, he said: "You can't take it [fame] too seriously because it's gone as quick as it comes. "As it came towards 2009, things just started to spin out of control a bit, as it does. I was kind of finished with the whole celebrity thing. "I started saying, 'no' to loads of programmes and I just wasn't interested in it. "My manager, rightly so, was like, 'Mate why won't you do any of these things?' I was just like, 'I'm not there anymore.'" Loose Women star Kelle Bryan and Boyzone 's Shane Lynch. But it was models Bianca Gascoigne and Calum Best who won the final series ahead of its cancellation.
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
What happened to the ultimate noughties party boy Fran Cosgrave: Reality star was left bankrupt and on verge of being homeless after party days with Calum Best - now he's unrecognisable after huge career shift
From winning the first ever series of Love Island to his bromance with Callum Best, not to mention his links to Westlife And Atomic Kitten, Fran Cosgrave was like a walking emblem of noughties pop culture, all the way up to his frosted tips. While influencer culture means that so many of today's celebs don't have an immediately recognisable talent, the nightclub owner from Dublin was the original 'famous for being famous' reality star with nobody quite sure why he was suddenly all over their screens. His first claim to fame was being a bodyguard for boyband Westlife and his engagement to Natasha Hamilton forged the second major alliance between the Irish group and Atomic Kitten - with Brian McFadden, of course, married to Kerry Katona. When his relationship with Natasha ended, he got together with Jodie Marsh and their memorable PDAs were as numerous as Fran's reality stints, but things ended acrimoniously when she accused him of cheating with her friend and blasted his party lifestyle with close pal Calum Best. By his own admission, things were spiralling out of control for Fran, who told 'I woke up one morning, bankrupt, five stone over weight, on antidepressants, jobless, on the dole and on the verge of becoming homeless – in short, the most miserable I had ever been in my life.' But 20 years on from when he first entered the limelight and Fran Cosgrave looks a world away from his reality TV days, after ditching fame to become a DJ and launch his own coffee company. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop The former nightclub owner, 47, has put his party days behind him and when he's on the road, he said there's 'no drinking, no partying. 'I'm eating well, training and exercising at every port, meditating and making sure that I get as much sleep as possible.' He now focuses on running his business, RUUD Coffee, which he founded this year after launching his own bespoke coffee blends and brand, Concrete Coffee, in 2024. Fran has also turned his back on TV to pursue his passion for house music, going by the name Futuristic Polar Bears, and becoming an international DJ. He has produced hit tracks like Running Wild and Damaged, with his Instagram bio stating he has 90 Million streams on Spotify. The Irish star often shares his music and shows to his followers, and has gone on tours to perform around the world, including Thailand, Ibiza, Germany, United States, Canada, Russia and Brazil. While Fran is almost unrecognisable from how fans will remember him from the early noughties, having ditched his mohawk and packed on even more muscles, as well as adorning his impressive biceps with a wide assortment of tattoos. He appears to be a big fan of keeping fit and training in the gym, sharing topless selfies on X of his chiselled physique. His first claim to fame was being a bodyguard for boyband Westlife, ahead of his TV debut on I'm A Celebrity in 2004, where he ended up in third place behind Joe Pasquale and Paul Burrell. The following year, he appeared on the inaugural series of Celebrity Love Island, going on be crowned the first winner alongside Jayne Middlemiss. The pair's romance would prove to be short lived and they soon went their separate ways, but Fran remained close with fellow Islanders Callum Best and Paul Danan. The trio reunited in 2006 for a short-lived car-crash reality show called Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan, which saw them ravel from Texas to Los Angeles on Route 66. He also released his autobiography, Reality Check, the same year, following his life from growing up on a Southern Ireland housing estate to climbing to fame. Fran then made a failed attempt at pop stardom after signing with Skint Records and releasing the single Jetsetter in August that year. While he also took part in Channel 4's reality show, Fool Around With, where he was tasked with discovering who out of four girls was single. And his love life also ended up in the headlines, with him enjoying relationships with Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton and glamour model Jodie Marsh. Fran and Natasha dated at the height of her fame in 2001 and welcomed son Josh, 22, in August 2002, before splitting the following year, then briefly reuniting in 2005, only to break-up again. Explaining their split at the time, the singer said: 'We were young and he worked until 6am. It was bound to fall apart.' Fran also had a relationship with Jodie from 2003 to 2004, with the pair often seen making raucous and attention-grabbing public appearances together. The former page 3 girl slammed him after their split, claiming that she dumped him because he was drinking heavily, reliant on Viagra in bed and cheated on her with her friend. In an interview with The Sunday People in 2004, Jodie also claimed to have discovered she was pregnant with his child a week after their split, but that when she called to tell him the news he 'screamed' at her and insisted she was lying. She said: 'I never wanted to get back with Fran - as far as I was concerned our relationship was over. I thought that, as the father, Fran had the right to know and should have a say in the matter. But he screamed down the phone at me, calling me a f***ing liar, saying I was attention seeking and making it all up. 'I felt so hurt that a man I had once loved could speak to me like that. I wouldn't have wanted to have a baby with a bloke like him. He was a boozer and a womaniser and if he treated me like that, what kind of father would he be?' Jodie went on: 'In the beginning he was loving and protective. Then he became aggressive and controlling but I turned a blind eye to it because I loved him. 'I paid for everything - the roof over his head, his clothes, his food, his drink, weekends away. I spent pounds 60,000 on Fran - but the most he ever bought me was a bunch of flowers from a garage for my birthday. He had no shame or pride.' She claimed Fran 'left me with no confidence' and that he would go out every night, sometimes coming home so drunk he was 'shaking and vomiting'. After he confessed to sleeping with one of her close pals, she said she ended it, saying: 'For me that was the ultimate betrayal and I kicked him out of my house. Something in my head just clicked and I realised what a complete and utter doormat I'd been for this man.' Jodie added to The Telegraph in 2005: 'I felt like I couldn't live without him. But it was only him sleeping with my mate that turned a light on in my head and I said, "Wake up you stupid girl!" After turning his back on fame, Fran went on to become the proud father of daughter, Patience Elisabeth, 15, and son Elijah, 14, with partner Elle Crawforth. He has said that he's happiest when at home with his family, admitting that he no longer mixes in the party circles he was frequently surrounded by in his younger years. Fran has admitted that his time in the spotlight was full with as many lows as it was highs, having battled depression and bankruptcy when his nightclub business went bust. In 2019, he reflected on his rapid rise to fame after Love Island, recalling: 'I was on Oxford Street and people were screaming in the streets, running out of shops to get an autograph - it sounds unbelievable now but it was absolutely insane. 'I did a DJ show up North and they had to take me off the decks as there was a huge crush at the front. I'd spend 20 minutes signing autographs in Tesco.' However, he admitted there was also a lot of harsh comments from people 'being ridiculously horrible', making him become depressed and turn to food for comfort, resulting in him putting on four and a half stone and losing much of his hair. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Fran admitted: 'I went through a time where I didn't look like me. Everyone was slagging me off, and I really felt I just had to take it.' While he explained that the duty of care protocols set up by ITV to protect Love Island contestants' mental health didn't exist when he did the show in 2005. He said: 'God, there wasn't anything like that, and I think some people on the show had really challenging days - which is only to be expected if you're somewhere for 11 or 12 weeks. 'You'd go have a chat with someone in the hut or whatever, but there was no awareness [of what challenges might arise] afterwards. That's the thing with fame. I always tell people not to get to wrapped up in it.' He struggled with continuing his career as he got older and said he became fed up of the industry by 2008, saying: 'For me and Calum, the whole thing was party, party, party. I just felt I couldn't go on after a point. 'There were a lot of younger people moving into the scene, and I just felt it wasn't the place for me. I needed to figure out how to make my next move and ended up facing massive personal challenges. 'It was extremely hard going from one stage to the other and I tried to step away and go back to normal life. A lot of the stuff I'd done in the club industry, I just needed to move away from it.' Fran previously told Jennifer Zamparelli on RTE 2FM, that he began to reject TV offers and pull away from the celebrity scene. He said: 'You can't take it [fame] too seriously because it's gone as quick as it comes. As it came towards 2009, things just started to spin out of control a bit, as it does. 'I was kind of finished with the whole celebrity thing. I started saying, "no" to loads of programmes and I just wasn't interested in it. 'My manager, rightly so, was like, "Mate why won't you do any of these things?" I was just like, "I'm not there anymore".' He sold his last nightclub to Peter Stringfellow in 2009 and turned to studying and finding his passion for personal coaching, claiming that 'it saved my life'. Though he previously admitted he would return to reality TV 'in a heartbeat', he was the 'happiest I've ever been'. Fran told the Mail: 'If something came up, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but genuinely, it's okay if it doesn't. I'm now the happiest I've ever been in my whole life - I've managed to turn my passions and dreams into my everyday life. But I know I'm one of the lucky stories.' While he issued a wise word of warning to today's reality stars and the pursuit of fame, saying it was 'artificially inflated' and that 'very few people can make it last'. 'When things go wrong, people look around and wonder why it's happening and who is doing this, but the biggest lesson I learned at that time was to look at myself and realise that I was the one making bad decisions. 'That was the real changing point for me. You learn very quickly not to get caught up in it. It's a disillusion bubble, and pretty soon you adjust to what negative stuff people are saying. 'The problem with today's reality stars is that you are taking kids out of normal jobs like working in Tesco, and then thrust them into a celebrity bubble. It's artificially inflated. 'The experience comes and goes but the danger lies in thinking, "I've made it now". Very few people can make it last. The expectation of kids when they see this stuff on TV radically changes their expectations of being famous.'
