She may not be jetting off to Mallorca for this season’s Love Island and international travel may still be severely curtailed but Holly Carpenter managed to enjoy a summer getaway.
The 29-year-old former Miss Ireland and Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model contestant and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Corkman Jamie Hunt, who she met online during lockdown, headed to Killenny for a romantic break last weekend.
Earlier this month Holly revealed that she had tried out for the glossy ITV dating show, which returns to screens next Monday telling the Petty Little Things Podcast:
“I did actually do an interview for Love Island. And it was the year just after Maura (Higgins) so it was quite recently. Because I saw how well she did I was like ‘do you know what f*** it. Like I’ve been single. Or I HAD been single for six years so do you know what I might as well do it’.
“But it was kinda weird. I actually went into ITV ‘cause I did two interviews and they were like, ‘so what would you say if you walked into the room and the boy you liked was like talking to another girl?’ I’d be like. I wouldn’t give a s*** about it. F*** him like. They obviously wanted some who’d be like ‘I’d go up and I’d tell him’.
“I think if I’d been 20 it would have been more iconic but I’m 28 and I just don’t know, if I get here and all these lads are like juiced up, you know like proper Love Island typical guys I wouldn’t probably fancy and stuff.”
However, the show was cancelled last year due to Covid and she has since found love which rules her out of the competition. She didn’t seem too bothered by the missed opportunity however as she enjoyed quality time with her other half.
The couple stayed in the Hibernian Hotel in Kilkenny Town and in pictures posted to Holly’s social media they appear to have had a great time. They even tried their hand at falconry at the Kilkenny School of Falconry getting up close and personal with a beautiful bird named Mabel who Holly described as “a gas bird”.
Prior to the trip Holly found herself panicking about what to bring announcing on Twitter “I’m packing my bags for a staycation in Kilkenny and I’ve just completely trashed my house and packed enough for a week at least, is anyone else horrendous at packing?”
However she appears to have figured it out and is pictured in an array of gorgeous summery outfits in the images. Alongside the Falconry she posted pictures from a healthy looking picnic and also images of her enjoying cocktails in the hotel bar.
She clearly enjoyed herself as she took to her Twitter to comment: “I wish I could relive the weekend all over again!”
Holly has credited Jamie with helping her through the most recent lockdowns previously writing on social media: “I honestly don’t know how I coped through the first lockdown living alone before I met my boyfriend and adopted my dog.
“Gained more independence I guess but when I think about how grateful I am for both of them now I could cry, guess I’m just v emosh today.”
