Despite being happily loved-up with Curtis Pritchard, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu faces fresh angst, as Wayne Lineker claims he was also romantic with her before she appeared on Love Island the first time round in 2022.
Wayne – who is the brother of Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker, reveals he dated the beauty, 30, after he airdropped her his number in Nando's.
'I actually dated the winner of Love Island, Ekin-Su, yes, loads of times,' revealed the 62year-old.
Referring to his Ibiza home in the luxury resort on the west coast of the party island, he continued: 'She stayed with me at 7Pines. I know, bizarre, isn't it?
'It was pre Love Island. She's lovely – we used to have such a laugh.'
Despite their 32 year-age gap, the O Beach owner says he wasn't shocked when he saw her on the ITV dating show.
Despite being happily loved-up with Curtis Pritchard , Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu faces fresh angst, as Wayne Lineker claims he was also romantic with her before she appeared on Love Island
Wayne – who is the brother of Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker , reveals he dated the beauty, 30, after he airdropped her his number in Nando's
'I messaged her and I'm like, what the f***? And then she started doing so well – I knew she'd do well because she's absolutely hilarious in real life. We just laugh and we've got so many funny stories.'
Appearing on GK Barry's podcast Saving Grace, the nightclub entrepreneur, confessed their paths first crossed at Nando's Restaurant.
'We met in Nando's in Loughton. She walked in and I was like, f***, she's fit.
A clearly bemused GK asked, 'Did you approach her?'
'Straight away,' came Wayne's reply.
'I actually airdropped her my number, and I went text me. I was the only one in there. Then she walked out of Nando's, walked down the road because she lives in Buckhurst Hill and within – I could still see her – she went [dropped me a message saying], "Hi, what are you doing?" So I pulled her in Nando's.'
MailOnline has contacted Ekin-Su's representatives for comment.
It comes after Ekin-Su took aim at her ex Georges Berthonneau after he claimed they were dating when she entered Love Island: All Stars.
Referring to his Ibiza home in the luxury resort on the west coast of the party island, he continued: 'She stayed with me at 7Pines. I know, bizarre, isn't it?'
It comes after Ekin-Su took aim at her ex Georges Berthonneau after he claimed they were dating when she entered Love Island: All Stars
MailOnline revealed last week that Ekin-Su, 30, had been dating the MAFS UK when she went on the ITV dating show in January
MailOnline revealed last week that Ekin-Su had been dating the MAFS UK star when she went on the ITV dating show in January - where she met boyfriend Curtis.
Georges said he believed she loved him until he witnessed her 'painful betrayal' with the dancer.
But Ekin-Su has now hit back, after she seemingly directed a savage TikTok at her ex.
She shared a TikTok clip of herself in gym gear before removing her running jacket to the backdrop of Lady Gaga's Paparazzi. Winking at the camera, Ekin-Su danced around to the lyrics 'I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me'.
In a further swipe, Ekin-Su captioned the clip: 'It's giving obsessed'.
According to Georges, he and Ekin were in love, but she insisted on signing up to the ITV2 show to further her career. They agreed she would go no further than 'kissing' another Islander during her time on the dating series, of which she was the star signing.
But Georges, 32, who confirmed the couple's 10-month romance for the first time, claims Ekin betrayed him on national TV when she became Curtis Pritchard 's girlfriend, leaving him devastated.
In an exclusive interview, Georges told MailOnline he and Ekin had planned a future together, called each other pet names, holidayed in France during the summer and spent Boxing Day exchanging gifts, just 18 days before she entered the South African villa.
The personal trainer says he lived a 'nightmare' for the five weeks Ekin was on the dating show as she passionately kissed Curtis, 29, and performed a seductive routine for him wearing sexy red lingerie during the programme's Heart Rate Challenge.
Georges said he believed she loved him until he witnessed her 'painful betrayal' with dancer Curtis Pritchard
But after Ekin shunned Georges once All Stars was over, only reaching out to him a week after the final, he finally ended their romance, saying: 'I can't be with someone who has another boyfriend…'
Georges said: 'We were boyfriend and girlfriend from April last year. We were with each other. We spent Boxing Day together.
'She spent time with my family, she came to family events, she met my nephews, sister-in-law, uncles, everyone. I met her mum a couple of times and her brother.
'We said we loved each other after six weeks of dating... I fell in love with the girl. She used to call me Bear and I called her Olive because of her olive skin and that's one of her last messages to me, "I love you, my Bear."
'It was a super, super intense and intimate relationship... We had a lot of intimacy, we were very close, and physically and emotionally we showed each other such love, but she threw everything we had away for her TV romance with Curtis Pritchard.'
Ekin returned to Love Island after first winning the show with ex-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti in 2022.
She told her 4.3million fanbase in January: 'I know I said I was done with Love Island, but here I am, fully invested again. The drama, the chaos, the questionable decisions, I just can't stay away.'
But Georges, who first connected with Ekin after she sent him a flirty direct message on Instagram, has claimed she only appeared on the show to boost her career, which he felt obliged to accept.
He has even accused the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant of 'gaslighting' after she allegedly told him not to date any other women during her appearance on Love Island: All Stars, where contestants romance each other on a daily basis.
According to Georges, he and Ekin were in love, but she insisted on signing up to the ITV2 show to further her career
Georges said: 'We were boyfriend and girlfriend from April last year. We were with each other. We spent Boxing Day together'
In January 2024, Ekin-Su split from Davide Sanclimenti, 30, after 18 months together (pictured together 2023)
He said: 'I got played. She gaslit me. I said to her before she went into the villa, "you do realise no one else would accept you going on the show" and she replied, "and that's exactly why I won't be with someone who wouldn't let me do things for my career."
'I feel so used. The devil on her shoulder is always money, money, money, brand deals, she just wants to be the most known person and that's all she cares about.
'I begged her not to go on All Stars and her friends were telling her not to because she had me at home who she cares about and loves but she said she needed to do it for her career.
'She said her career was more important even though she also wants to have a family and children. She threw it all away with me.
'Despite the fact she was going on Love Island, she told me not to get with any other girls while she was away, which I told her wouldn't happen because I loved her.'
