As Love Island winners they’ve spent the last two years enjoying some seriously amazing experiences. But as Paige Turley and Finn Tapp are keen to point out, being part of this year’s Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards with TSB, is up there with the best of them.
The loved-up pair were on the red carpet ahead of the event, at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms, interviewing all of the inspiring winners and saying some special hellos to their family and friends. And as Paige, who hails from West Lothian, explains, being able to celebrate with fellow Scots made it all extra special.
“It was so great to finally be there,” she laughs. “This was the first time since Covid we could do the awards in person - so being able to chat to people for real, to spend proper time with everyone, was just great.
“You go to so many events where you’re the only Scottish person so to be here, to be home and to have Finn here too, was just brilliant. The atmosphere was just amazing, it really was a celebration of the best of Scotland, I felt so proud.”
For Finn, 22, meeting this year’s winners was a humbling experience. “They just blew me away,” he says.
“All these people who have faced really hard times or who are doing such amazing things, it just stops you in your tracks. Little Mila (Seddon) - the girl who went through cancer treatment during lockdown - was amazing. She’s been so brave and she’s such a laugh, she’s got so much energy.
“By the end of the night we were all shattered and she was still jumping around. It was half eleven but she was still going!
“Seeing the kids having a good time, knowing what their families have been through, it was out of this world. And we got to hear Lulu sing. Wow!”
He adds: “We’ve been so lucky, we get to do so many brilliant things but Pride of Scotland really stands out. The winners are the stars here, when they walked down the red carpet towards us, it was really humbling.
“Steve - the guy who has been helping kids from Ukraine - he’s so amazing. We were just so honoured to be a part of it.”
As well as getting to know the winners, Finn admits to being a little bit star-struck about meeting some of the Scottish celebrities in attendance too.
“I’ve got him into loads of Scottish shows,” laughs Paige, “Comedies like Still Game and Two Doors Down, that was all part of us getting to know each other so he was so excited to be there with people like Greg (Hemphill), Sanjeev (Kholi) and Elaine C Smith.
“It blew his mind - and mine! And it was great being so close to home too. It’s not been that easy to do that in the last few years!”
As Paige says, the down to earth couple have had a strange start to dating. After hooking up on Love Island and going to win the show, they now live together in Manchester.
Getting together during lockdown meant they’ve had plenty of time together but they’ve not been able to do much else. Now they’re making up for lost time.
And although they laugh nervously when I ask about marriage, they seem genuinely happy. Just back from a sunshine break, now they’re getting ready to have their first holidays without each other too.
“Yeah, things are really good,” Finn says, “We’re just starting to be able to do all the normal things to be honest. The things that couples usually do…we’re catching up.”
In the meantime, they’re keeping a close eye on the show that brought them together and made them famous. They’re loving this series of Love Island. As Finn explains, watching it is non-negotiable.
“We’ve just got back from holiday and I downloaded a VPN so I could watch it while we were away,” he laughs. “So far it’s been one of the best ever - there’s been some good drama.
“Davide and Ekin-Sue are like a married couple, there’s something about those two. They could do well. When you’re watching it all you remember how it feels in there, it all comes back, the good bits, all the excitement, this brilliant summer.
“But you forget that there are times when you’re in there and it feels different - when you’re thinking how nice it would be, to be at home, just to have a little break. It’s just so nice watching it but not being in the villa!”
Watch the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards on STV and STV Player at 8pm on Tuesday, July 19.
