Love Island’s Wes Nelson has admitted the ITV reality show enabled him to launch a music career, but has also stressed there is a ‘stigma’ attached to its exports.
The 24-year-old, who rocketed to fame during Love Island ’s 2018 series, opened up about distancing himself from the Majorca villa and its Instagram-famous stars in order to focus on his music career.
Having returned from a year focusing on singing to team up with Crystal Ski Holidays, Wes has now teased a possible reality TV return and has not ruled out another appearance on the show that made his name – although not as an official Islander.
As the return of winter Love Island approaches, Wes said: “I don't think I'll be going anywhere near that – maybe when the performers go over and do a song. I would do that, but I don't think I'm going to be going in there.”
Wes went on to admit he has not watched the ITV show for the past few years, noting he’s ‘pretty out of the loop’ of the Love Island sphere’s drama.
He said: “I only really talked to Josh [Denzel] and Jack [Fowler] to be honest. Jack Fincham sometimes as well. I saw Adam [Collard] not long ago, but I'm pretty out of the loop.”
Smiling, he added: “I think I purposefully keep myself out of the loop to avoid the drama.”
The Nice to Meet Ya hitmaker described Love Island fame as a ‘double edged sword’, bringing both publicity as well as a ‘stigma’ he says he is still trying to shed.
“There is literally a group of people that wouldn't listen to music because of the route that I've gone into it,” Wes said. “But it's not something I'm focused on. I'm just happy to be making music and the opinions will follow.”
After Olivia Attwood made history as the first Love Island personality to compete on I’m A Celebrity …Get Me Out Of Here! Wes said his ‘inner child’ would be thrilled at the chance to join the jungle, fresh off the back of a stint on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
“Music is taking the forefront,” he said, “but at the same time, the inner child in me just wants to go and run around the jungle.
“I think I was that weirdo kid when I was little. I was obsessed with Steve Irwin, so the idea of going into the jungle does excite me.”
Wes went on to recall his skiing holidays with family as a youngster and how it prompted him to lend his backing to a new sustainable skiwear campaign.
He said: “ Josh Denzel messaged me saying, ‘I wish you would have told me about this earlier’, because he's just spent an absolute fortune on ski gear.”
He continued: “I think a lot of people shy away from the holidays because they are stereotypically the very pricey holiday to go on. But this has made it accessible for everyone.
“Growing up I've gone through so much skiwear and a lot of it's wasted because you use it once a year.
“So when we had the opportunity to get involved in something that was more sustainable and it being a lot more affordable, it just makes sense.”
Wes Nelson teams up with Crystal Ski Holidays to launch The Ski Edit – a new skiwear edit available to rent via By Rotation until April 2023, to help make skiwear more affordable and sustainable.
