Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu thinks her relationship with Davide Sanclimenti would have been "different" without fame.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu won the 2022 series of Love Island with David Sanclimenti but they called it quits a year later
The 30-year-old reality star met Davide, 29, on the set of 'Love Island' in 2022 and they eventually won the ITV2 dating show together but called it quits in June 2023 and now she has admitted that at some point, it became more of a "business relationship" for them as they carved out careers on social media.
Speaking on ITV's 'Lorraine' she said: "I think any relationship amplified under the spotlight is going to be harder. It's a test, isn't it? Everyone knows your business, somehow people will say things about your relationship.
"It's about being grounded and not facing a relationship on social media and [thinking about] how many likes we can get.
"It does turn into a business relationship. It would've been different [without the attention] I think."
Meanwhile, the former 'Dancing On Ice' star endured a disastrous run on 'Celebrity Big Brother'shortly after her split from Davide and "doesn't regret" signing up for it but admitted it was all the "wrong time" for her to do it, although she has "nothing negative" to say about the experience now.
She said: "For me, look, 'Celebrity Big Brother' is a great show and I don't regret it. I do understand that it was the wrong time for me to go on the show, mainly because I was healing. I wasn't healed. I was very defensive. When I look back at myself, I can't recognise myself. Mentioning 'Love Island' all the time, being all self-defensive.
"I wouldn't be that person now. I take accountability for some things that I might have said on there but I forgive and you learn.
"You move on and that's the past now. I have so much love for everyone on there, I love that people are doing so well on there from the show and I wish them the best. I've got nothing negative to say."