Wishaw’s Love Island contestant Harry Young says that appearing on the show has helped him get back to his old self after a tough break-up.
The 24-year-old car salesman was the hit ITV show's first contestant to be recruited through Tinder, after an accidental swipe right.
Harry told Lanarkshire Live: “I went through quite a bad break-up about a year and a half ago.
"After that I had a few months of fun. Then Covid hit and that’s when the Tinder came out.
“A recruitment advert came up on the app one day and I accidentally swiped right. So, I didn’t go out my way to apply for Love Island, it was just by chance.”
A few days later Harry received a call from the programme's producers to say they were sending him a fast-track application and encouraged him to fill it out.
The former Coltness High pupil explained: “I had to make a one-minute video answering some questions about myself. I sent it off and the next day they called to say they absolutely loved it.
“After a few zoom calls and a meeting with the producers in London at the end of May, they decided to put me in the show.”
Harry admitted he struggled to keep the news a secret from his friends in the weeks leading up to Love Island hitting TV screens again, and at that point he still didn’t know if he was going into the villa at the start of the series, as a bombshell or as part of Casa Amor.
He said: “They sent me a flight date and I then spent three weeks isolating with a chaperone in a villa on Majorca.
“I actually didn’t find out I was going into Casa Amor until about three or four days beforehand.”
Despite the show’s huge popularity, Harry insisted he didn’t feel nervous about his appearance in front of a TV audience of around 2.5 million and tried to take it all in his stride while remaining grounded.
“I wanted to enjoy the experience but not get too caught up in it. I’m a believer in what’s for you won’t go by you. I was just living in the moment,” he laughed.
The six Casa Amor boys met just before their iconic walk into the famous villa but despite that, the group still managed to form strong friendships during their time on the show.
Harry continued: “All the boys are brand new. I got on with them all. But out of the six I really bonded with Sam and Jack.
“And having Dale, the other Scottish boy, made me a wee bit more comfortable going in. I’d slip back into my Wishy accent with him!”
Having watched every previous series of Love Island, Harry was excited to see the villa firsthand and confirmed he wasn’t disappointed by the experience.
“It was unreal. Just being round the fire pit and swimming in the infinity pool was surreal. It’s minted,” he enthused.
Being in front of the camera quickly became the new norm for Harry, who undertook some photo shoots and filmed some footage for the show before entering the villa.
He explained: “The walk-in was the only time the cameras were in your face but the ones in the villa are so discreet you just forget about them.”
Harry had his sights set on fellow contestant Kaz before he entered the villa but it was Abigail who made the best first impression on him.
“I was immediately attracted to Abigail, she’s stunning and such a lovely girl," he said. "But she made it clear that it was Toby she went in for and she was sticking with him. If it was going to be anyone it would’ve been Faye. We had a laugh together and her ex was a car salesman too, so she gave me a bit of a slagging!"
Faye expressed an interest in Harry and another Casa Amor boy Sam, who she eventually decided to recouple with.
Unfortunately, Harry didn’t form any romantic connections during his brief appearance and had to leave the island after four days.
He admitted: “It was a wee bit disappointing that the experience was over so quickly, but I had a laugh and was true to myself, so that’s all I could do.”
Harry’s friends and family were all delighted that he was chosen for the show but were frustrated by his lack of episode airtime, something Harry was surprised by too.
He said: “I was kind of taken aback by it because it looks like I wasn’t really there apart from when I walked in, so there’s lots viewers didn’t get to see.
“The boys had team talks every day. I had chats with all the girls. We played American football with lemons one day, we had a dance off, did karaoke, played charades.
“And on the second day, both villas won a party in the Raunchy Races competition. That night was brilliant, we had a toast, downed our drinks and were dancing. That’s me in my element. Give me a drink and put some songs on and that’s me, I come alive.”
Harry laughed at the suggestion he’s a local celebrity now but admitted he’s already been recognised on a number of occasions since returning home.
He’s also attracting a lot of attention on Instagram, with his followers now numbering almost 10,000 and messages continuing to flood in.
He joked modestly: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come out to a few nice messages on Instagram.
Ultimately though, Harry is delighted that Love Island has helped restore his confidence and insists that there’s nothing he would have done differently.
He added: “I look at myself and think ‘maybe you should’ve developed a better six-pack or pumped up those biceps a wee bit more’.
“But I was so relaxed, they cast me based on who I am so I didn’t feel like I needed to transform myself.
“The experience has helped me get back to my normal, confident self after a difficult 18 months. That’s what I’m most grateful for and what I’m taking away from it.
“And I’m 100 per cent still looking for love.”
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