Love Island lothario Curtis Pritchard hit the red carpet at the Pride of Britain Awards last night, but girlfriend Maura Higgins was notably missing.
The hunky dancer, 23, exclusively told the Mirror Online that Maura wouldn't be showing her face because of her commitments to Dancing On Ice.
She's bagged a role on the upcoming competition, expected to kick off around January next year.
Curtis said: "She's meant to be here but unfortunately has commitments - Dancing On Ice, she's training, she's working hard, so she can't be here."
He added that she's come a long way since first donning the skates.
"I went and watched her once," Curtis revealed, "I will not comment on [below the legs] because that's on ice. I'm a dancer on a floor, not on ice so I won't comment, but up above I will help her out.
"All I can say is that she's improving. I think it's starting to click with her, she's doing really well."
The pair first found romance in the Love Island villa, after a heartbroken Amy Hart's departure left the doors to Curtis' heart wide open for Maura.
"Incredible, perfect," he gushed of their relationship, "Things are great with us."
Curtis and Maura are now one of four surviving couples from Love Island's class of 2019, now that Ovie Soko and India Reynolds have called it quits.
Curtis added: "I just take things as they come and I'm enjoying it with Maura and we're going strong.
"Everyone else's relationship- none of my business. I'm friends with each individual person, but what they do in their relationships, that's their business."
His brother AJ's currently stealing the show with his celeb partner, Saffron Barker, on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing .
Some fans reckon the pair are set to seize the Glitterball Trophy, and Curtis is cheering his brother on.
"He's doing fantastic," he beamed, "Saffron's doing fantastic. I'm so proud of him and her."
Given his own dancing background, some fans have been wanting him to carve out a career on Strictly himself alongside his older brother.
Curtis isn't certain, laughing: "Who knows what the future holds. If the opportunity comes at the right time, absolutely - and I've been so fortunate to have all these opportunities."
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, will broadcast on ITV on 5th November at 8pm."
