‘I’m not going back to America… I found what I came for’ — Love Island’s Harrison abandons life in the US for Lauren Wood just days after quitting the villa, as critics question how ‘real’ their whirlwind romance really is - suong

“People said I shouldn’t leave, but I knew I had to. That day without her made me realise what I wanted,” he said. “It wasn’t a good 24 hours. I just sat and reflected. I went in to find something real, and I knew that was Lauren.” Since leaving the show, the couple have been adjusting to life in the real world — but without the 24/7 cameras.

“We’ve been on proper dates, shopping in London, and just enjoying time together,” Lauren shared. “It’s nice just being us, not ‘Harrison and Lauren from Love Island.’”

The pair have already spoken to each other's families over FaceTime and say meeting in person is on the cards soon. “She spoke to my whole family. We’ll get to boyfriend and girlfriend status in the near future,” Harrison teased. “She wants me to pop the question now.” 

Their first official date? “Harry’s just outside Harrods,” he revealed. “We planned it while in the villa, so we knew exactly what we wanted to do when we got out.”

But it hasn’t all been sunshine and selfies. Harrison faced backlash after Women’s Aid raised concerns about “misogynistic behaviour” during his time on the show, particularly relating to how he navigated his connections with Toni and Lauren.

“It was hard to see,” he said of the articles. “I don’t believe those labels reflect who I am at all. I’ve definitely made mistakes, but none of it came from a bad place. Everyone close to me — even Toni — knows that.” 

In one of his final villa scenes, Harrison got visibly emotional during a heartfelt chat with Toni, apologising for how things ended. “She told me I wasn’t a bad person, just that I went about things the wrong way,” he said. “That meant a lot. I needed that conversation.”

While the show aired just one hour a day, both Harrison and Lauren insist that their connection was deeper than what viewers may have seen.

Harrison was originally coupled up with Toni(Image: ITV) 

“People think it was all PDA, but it wasn’t,” Lauren said. “We were genuinely getting to know each other. We were glued to each other’s sides every day.” Harrison agreed: “We had proper chats, laughs, and just clicked on every level. That’s why I left.”

With their relationship going strong, the couple are taking things slow — but seriously. “There’s no pressure,” said Harrison. “We’re just enjoying this chapter and taking it day by day.”

And what about watching the show back? “Not yet,” Lauren laughed. “We’ve seen TikToks and little clips, but we’ll probably binge it in a few months when we’ve got time.”

Looking back, Harrison says the toughest part wasn’t the drama — it was hurting people unintentionally. “I cared about both girls at one point, and I know my indecision caused pain. That’s what I regret the most.” But he also knows he’s come out of it with something real. “I left Love Island with what I went in for. That’s all I could’ve asked for.”