Ekin-Su CülcüloÄlu’s feet have barely touched the ground since she and boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti were crowned Love Island winners in August.
The 28-year-old’s innate talent for creating TV gold on the ITV2 series quickly won her a legion of fans and had many branding her a feminist icon of the reality TV age as she unapologetically went after what she wanted.
Now two months out of the villa and Ekin-Su is continuing on with that same energy as she revealed her aspirations to take on Hollywood, having previously enjoyed success on Turkish drama North Star.
Speaking at the launch of Ekin-Su X Oh Polly, she told the Evening Standard: “If I had the opportunity now, and they said, ‘Ekin, next month we want you to audition for a major film.’ I would be like yeah, ASAP.
“I would pause everything and go because that’s what I did at university and that’s what I wanted all my life, acting, and it’s what I love. Alongside my brand deals, my acting as well, that would complete me”.
It’s wild to consider how much the model’s life has changed since she entered the villa earlier this summer, even she would tell you, “It’s too good to be true”.
In the eight weeks since winning Love Island, Ekin-Su has filmed her own ITV2 reality show, has walked in New York Fashion week, signed several brand deals and has just announced she’s set to compete on Dancing On Ice.
And if it was up to her fans, the British star would have yet another work project added to her never-ending list of TV endeavours - fronting Love Island.
Many had been campaigning on social media for Ekin-Su to front the show that catapulted her into public life – and those hopes have only gone up ten-fold following Laura Whitmore’s announcement that she would be stepping away from the dating series last month.
Despite their pleas, Ekin-Su admitted that she’s not “ready” to front the primetime show and its spin-off Aftersun, but threw her support behind rumoured new host Maya Jama.
She said: “I think ITV have picked wisely, one, I think she’s [Maya Jama] beautiful, I think she’s funny and I think she’s very smart. I think she’s very well-spoken and she’s someone everyone can relate to as well.
“I know no one can replace Caroline Flack, I loved her. Laura Whitmore was so good as well, it’s a shame she left, we’re friends and I think she’s doing great with her West End show.
“I think [Maya] would be great as the new Love Island presenter.
“I would have loved to [do it] but I’m so busy and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. That’s what I kept saying to people, ‘I’m not ready for that’. I’ve just come out of the Island. Too soon. Let me get more training first in TV presenting. “
While there’s no stopping her career trajectory, Ekin-Su takes a different approach when it comes to her love life and is happy to take things slow with boyfriend Davide, 27.
Since leaving the villa, the ITV darling has been fielding off questions and social media comments about when people can expect the couple to move in and marry, despite only meeting three months ago.
To date, the dating show has produced four weddings and spawned eight babies with a nineth on the way, while this year’s finalists Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page have already moved in.
As viewers, we’ve come to expect Love Island stars to rush the milestones of falling in love, but being a woman hailed for playing by her own rules, you can be sure Ekin-Su will not be rushed on any such decisions.
The Love Island star remarked: “I think the more people ask me, ‘when are you getting married? When are you moving in?’ The more I don’t want to do it.
“The more I want it to feel natural if I want to and he wants to. Regardless, if you’re not in the public eye, no one gives you pressure other than families, you decide when it’s the right time.
“So, when people ask me, ‘when are you moving in?’ I genuinely don’t want to move in. You do the opposite because pressure is never good for anything.”
So what now for the star? Well she’s busy launching her new 16-piece clothing collection with Oh Polly, having signed a reported £1million deal with the online retailer after leaving Love Island.
Speaking about her foray into fashion, she told us: “I want people to feel sexy. I want every woman, every age and every size to feel great.
“Not just model material, not just the young 20-year-old.
“When I was 23 I wore Oh Polly. I’m 28 and I’m still wearing Oh Polly. Hopefully when I’m 38, I’m still wearing Oh Polly.”
The Ekin-Su x Oh Polly collection is available at www.ohpolly.com
