Love Island season 5 came to a close on Monday, July 29th with this year’s winners crowned in a shock twist as Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea. And the drama and gossip haven’t stopped flowing since the Islanders left Majorca.
Curtis Pritchard was one of this year’s most talked about contestants. Everything from his actions, the way he spoke and how he dressed were all under scrutiny for the eight weeks he was in the Love Island villa. But it was Curtis’ sexuality that was truly under the microscope of Love Island viewers this year.
And now Curtis Pritchard has openly addressed those speculations, leading to some larger questions about the dating series and how it approaches sexuality on the show.
From ITV StudiosLove Island: SR5: Ep46 on ITV2
Pictured: Curtis and Maura go on a date.
Curtis Pritchard on Love Island
Over the eight weeks that he was in the Majorca villa, Curtis was coupled up with Amy Hart and then Maura Higgins, who he left the villa with in fourth place.
However, it was not Curtis’ antics with the ladies that was largely under speculation. When Curtis and Tommy Fury kissed to cement their bromance in episode 21, viewers were taken aback and jumped to the conclusion that Curtis was more interested in Tommy than the girls.
Curtis’ mum Debi said to OK! Magazine: “Curtis is comfortable enough in his sexuality to be confident in expressing himself. It doesn’t matter how other people perceive it” and brother AJ added “It’s 2019. He can kiss Tommy on the lips”.
Curtis Pritchard addresses sexuality
While he was in the villa, Curtis Pritchard never addressed his sexuality on air, or if he did, it wasn’t shown. But since leaving he has spoken about his fluid sexuality.
He told The Sun: “I’ve been with women and I’m with a woman now. You can never put a label on anything”.
Curtis continued that he “can never ever say what will happen in the future” and “wouldn’t rule anything out.”
It’s a cliche to say, but love is blind.
Good Morning Britain hosts shamed over interview
After making the above comments about not knowing who he would end up with – of either gender – Curtis appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about this and his time in the villa.
But it led to some very awkward interactions between GMB hosts Kate and Adil and Curtis as they tried to force Curtis to come out and label himself as bisexual.
When directly asked by Adil if he was bisexual, Curtis said: “I’m not labelling anything, because I don’t feel like I need to label anything”.
Viewers were outraged by the questioning and handling of the situation, with one Facebook user commenting “What does it even matter? It’s 2019 and his sexuality is his business”.
Bisexuality in the Love Island villa
In episode 15 (Wednesday, June 19th), Curtis’ partner Maura Higgins addressed that she had “been with a girl” to the surprise of the other Islanders.
Since Curtis has addressed his fluid sexuality, Maura has supported him. But it has left some wondering why he did not – as Maura did – open up about potentially being interested in men on the show.
One issue, as The Guardian’s Hannah Jane Parkinson argues, is that biphobia is currently more of a pressing issue for men than women. She claims that “male bisexuality is often met with prejudice” and that only 12% of bisexual men are out.
This goes in hand with the fact that ITV bosses did not allow same-sex couples this season. Season 2’s Sophie Gradon and Katie Salmon are the show’s only same-sex couple to date.
As Megan Barton-Hanson admitted she was interested in dating women on Celebs Go Dating series 7, it seems that the Love Island contestants have been secretive about their sexuality while on the show. And it’s probably down to the show’s hetero format preventing them coupling up with someone from another gender.
We’re waiting for Love Bi-land to become a reality!
https://twitter.com/katie_peel/status/1145658621600161794
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