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Ekin-Su’s Quest for Fame: Showmances, Secret Lovers, and Awkward Celebrity Rejections

BBG News

In the summer of 2022, when Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu made her debut on national TV screens, it was clear she was someone to take seriously.

Stepping confidently onto Love Island, she announced boldly, “I’m not here to collect temporary girlfriends; I’ve come to find the love of my life.” Later, she and Davide Sanclimenti were declared the villa’s royal couple and crowned as king and queen.

However, that marked the unfortunate conclusion of their romantic tale, and rather than experiencing the blissful future together as she had dreamed, Ekin-Su has faced continued scrutiny regarding her post-show relationships.

She concealed having a ‘hidden boyfriend’ as an opportunity to appear on Love Island: All Stars, aiming to advance her career and live a life under the public eye.

After departing from the ITV reality show, she aimed to emulate Molly-Mae Hague’s success. Immediately upon leaving the villa, she was offered a £1 million fashion line with Oh Polly, marking the largest clothing deal in the show’s history.

Reportedly, she has accumulated a considerable £1.6 million wealth through endorsements and frequent television engagements. These appearances include stints on shows like Love Island, Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing On Ice, and also the American adaptation of The Traitors.

In early 2024, following the end of her relationship with Davide, Ekin made a fresh start in the realm of reality TV by signing up for the revival season of Celebrity Big Brother.

She was accused by fellow housemates of being ‘fake’ and playing a role on the show.

In an effort to shift responsibility for her portrayal, Ekin decided to give television dating another shot and reappeared on Love Island: All Stars in January, where she encountered her newest love interest, Curtis Pritchard.

Despite facing accusations that their relationship is staged, this unconventional pair maintains that it’s genuine and continues to flourish.

Previously, she made a transatlantic journey to participate in the American adaptation of The Traitors, hoping to broaden her international influence.

Despite her ambition to rise above the realm of reality television and quickly establish herself as a prominent figure, it appears that Ekin-Su has not yet fully reached the level of stardom she had envisioned for herself.

On Sunday, the influencer experienced an embarrassing situation when her attempt to mingle with the high-profile figures at the BAFTA afterparty fell flat, resulting in her being asked to depart from the official event following the glitzy TV awards ceremony.

Among several influencers, Ekin-Su was among those invited to the event organized by P&O Cruises. However, unlike others, she didn’t receive an invitation to the private dinner and afterparty.

Unfortunately, that didn’t deter the 30-year-old from attempting her fortunes and attending a high-class dinner event, hoping to mingle with the likes of Damian Lewis, Billie Piper, David Tennant, and James Corden, among others.

A bystander shared with the Mail, “Ekin-Su seemed to be aimlessly roaming about during the event, while the genuine stars were enjoying their meal there. It was quite unfortunate and sad to observe.

She attempted to mingle anonymously among the group, yet was ultimately identified as someone without a dinner invitation by BAFTA’s security personnel. Consequently, she was requested to depart. The experience was deeply embarrassing for her.

Sources close to Ekin-Su maintain that she was, in fact, trying to find her way out at the time.

Since soaring to fame Ekin has done her best to stay relevant and in the limelight. 

Initially, I endeavored, alongside my then partner Davide, to build our reputation as a high-profile duo following our stint on the reality TV series, “Homecomings.” This unique journey took us back to our roots in Italy and Turkey.

But the smooth sailing in their relationship ended when the Italian heartthrob faced accusations of infidelity with an OnlyFans content creator.

Less than a month following their Love Island victory, signs of strain emerged in her relationship with Davide. This was when he was spotted departing from a party with two blonde women in August of the same year.

Ekin-Su broke down in tears upon hearing about the incident, strongly expressing that she found it hard to accept Davide could behave unkindly towards her.

When she asked him ‘how could you do this to me’, she claims he simply replied: ‘Excuse me?’

During the taping of their ITV2 series Homecomings, Ekin-Su mentioned spotting images of Davide with other women on his mobile device.

He claims she saw images of two blonde girls in his Manchester flat wearing his clothes.

Ekin-Su did not want to make anything of the situation at the time because they were being filmed.

The TV host later asserted that Davide had been unfaithful to her by dating a woman named Harriet Wilson. Harriet subsequently reached out to Ekin-Su to share this information.

Ekin-Su mentioned that on another occasion, Davide forgot to close his laptop, revealing to her sexually suggestive correspondence he was having with a girl whom she had personally encountered during New Year’s Eve festivities.

She said seeing those messages ‘broke something in me’.

Despite facing cheating allegations, she chose to remain discreet in her responses to avoid any embarrassment, yet simultaneously sought to safeguard Davide.

Later on, Davide was seen taking a questionable white substance by sniffing it in Ibiza, whereas Ekin-Su remained at her residence in the United Kingdom.

Despite facing difficulties in her personal relationships, she maintained her drive towards fame and was offered a massive £100,000 for participating in Dancing On Ice in 2023. Unfortunately, she managed to last just three weeks on the show before getting eliminated due to public votes.

As a devoted fan, I was thrilled to see Ekin making her comeback, this time on the American adaptation of The Traitors, premiering on Peacock in early 2024.

Upon her return to the UK, she discovered that Davide had been out clubbing in Manchester with her competitor for affection, Harriet.

It’s said that he secretly vacationed in Morocco with an OnlyFans model without disclosing this fact upon his return to Ekin-Su.

In June 2023, there was a short-lived separation. However, they made up only two months after that, spending a romantic vacation in Turkey, which is the home country of Ekin-Su’s family. Unfortunately, their relationship came to an end permanently in January 2024.

After going through a separation, I graced the reality TV show, Celebrity Big Brother, last year, sharing the house with luminaries such as Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.

Or, in more conversational language:

Last year, following a split, I found myself on Celebrity Big Brother alongside stars like Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. What an experience!

Fans criticized her for appearing overly emotional and staged tears, as she reacted strongly to being nominated for eviction by Marisha Wallace, during a moment where she was hugging a teddy bear.

Ekin was the one who got removed as the fourth housemate, due to accusations from the others that she was inauthentic and acting, and she’s confessed that she expected her actions to lead to being criticized or dismissed after the incident.

She exited the Big Brother residence to a mix of jeers and boos. Later, during Big Brother: Late And Live, she was interrogated by panelist Layton Williams who criticized, “Don’t attribute it to editing. We witness what happens,” while host Will Best labeled her as ‘Ekin Crying-Cry-Cry’.

Ekin found the response so disheartening that she decided not to go to the finale. Since then, she’s shared honestly about how the program brought her to an all-time low.

During an episode of the Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast in March, she shared about the threatening messages she received following her appearance on the program. She acknowledged that it might not have been the ideal show or timing as she joined so swiftly after her split with Davide, implying that perhaps it was not the best decision at that point in time.

It seems you weren’t present in your usual state of mind when we last interacted. Perhaps due to my participation in Big Brother, I found myself surrounded by a great deal of negativity.

Experiencing an extremely difficult moment due to my feelings of insignificance being further aggravated upon entering the house, only to encounter a barrage of hate, death threats, and comments like, “You don’t deserve to live. I’m coming for you,” intended to take my life.

Similar harmful statements, such as “You ought to feel ashamed of yourself. You’re deserving of bullying,” can be distressing and evoke painful memories or feelings. They can activate or bring up past traumas.

I found myself in my apartment, seated on the floor, weeping profusely for about three hours. The tears just flowed as I questioned, ‘Is this genuine? Am I real? Or is it a facade?’

It was an unusually strange mental experience I was having; it seemed as though the entire situation didn’t feel genuine.

Despite my efforts to keep her away, she came back to ITV yet again, gracing our screens this time for the sequel of Love Island: All Stars.

Or,

I thought I had successfully kept her at bay, but alas! She reappeared on ITV once more, this occasion being for the second season of Love Island: All Stars.

In January, she shared with her 4.3 million followers: “Although I previously stated that I was finished with Love Island, it seems I’ve been drawn back in. I can’t resist the drama, the confusion, and the curious choices – it’s just too enticing to leave behind.

In the company of an unexpected partner, Curtis Pritchard, they found themselves beset by whispers that their connection might be staged or unauthentic.

In response to accusations in March that their relationship was merely for attention-grabbing purposes, Ekin expressed respect towards those sharing such opinions when speaking with The Sun.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, allow me to express my perspective: Everyone has the right to their thoughts, and I find myself empathizing with those who view our dynamic as a theatrical spectacle. After all, on the stage of the show, we are indeed performers, and when we convene, it does feel like a captivating performance.

‘But it’s not a showmance, it’s real. It just feels right. It feels healthy and I am myself.’

It’s now known that while she was on Married At First Sight UK, Ekin was actually involved in a clandestine relationship with Georges Berthonneau.

As per Georges, both he and Ekin shared a romantic relationship, but she chose to join the ITV2 show to boost her career prospects.

They reached an understanding that she wouldn’t advance beyond a kiss with another contestant on the dating show, where she was the main cast member.

However, Georges, aged 32, admitted their 10-month relationship to TopMob for the first time and expressed his disappointment as he felt Ekin had deceived him when she began dating Curtis publicly, causing him great distress on national television.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’d casually express it this way: Georges and Ekin had been making future plans together, often using endearing nicknames for one another. We’d find them holidaying in the beautiful landscapes of France during summer, and they’d even exchange gifts on Boxing Day. All this just 18 days before she stepped into the South African villa.

The personal trainer expressed that the past five weeks had been quite challenging for him due to Ekin’s intense public displays of affection with Curtis, including passionate kisses and sensual performances in red lingerie during the Heart Rate Challenge segment on the dating show.

However, following Ekin distancing herself from Georges after the conclusion of All Stars, only contacting him a week later, she ultimately terminated their relationship by stating, “I can’t maintain a relationship with someone who already has another partner…

In my own words: ‘I felt manipulated. She led me to believe it was gaslighting. Before she entered the villa, I cautioned her, saying, “You understand that no one else would allow you to participate in this show,” and she countered with, “And that’s precisely why I won’t be with someone who hinders my career progression.”‘

I have a sense of being exploited. It seems like she’s constantly driven by monetary gains, brand endorsements, and the desire for fame, with little regard for anything else beyond becoming well-known.

She pleaded with her to avoid participating in All Stars, as her friends advised, since she has someone at home whom she deeply cares for and cherishes. However, she asserted that it was essential for her professional growth.

She prioritized her career over personal life, including starting a family, despite wanting both. Ultimately, she made the decision to sacrifice our relationship for her professional aspirations.

Even though she was participating in Love Island, she asked me not to date anyone else while she was gone. I assured her that I wouldn’t do that because I love her.

On social media platforms, Ekin and Curtis are still portraying a romantic image, and recently, they addressed separation speculations in an Instagram video. In that video, Curtis stated: “Apparently I’m now single too, yes!”, while Ekin-Su could be heard giggling in the background.

However, I ended up getting back together with my ex immediately, he explained, leaning towards Ekin-Su and pointing it out for the cameras.

‘Apparently spending nearly two or three days away means we’ve broken up?’ Ekin-Su said.

Curtis explained, “While you were busy, I’ve essentially been toiling in a dark place, receiving blows.

Ekin-Su playfully commented, “It seems like this just goes to show that exes can reconcile, you know!” She added, “We’ve never had a separation as brief as this one before.

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2025-05-13 18:23

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