EXCLUSIVE: Daily Star sat down with Harry Cooksley before he heads into the Love Island villa. He revealed what really went on with his scorned date he allegedly stood up for the ITV show
Love Island’s Harry revealed the ‘truth’ behind ‘dumping’ his date to enter the ITV villa, admitting it sounds ‘terrible’.
Harry Cooksley, 30, from Guildford, is a semi-professional footballer with a mullet, the usual package to be an ultimate heartbreaker. However, the lad entering season 12 of the popular show promises that he’s not one, despite being wrapped up in romance drama before he’s even stepped foot on the show.
Just a week before the show starts, with the first episode airing on Monday 9 June, a former flame of the stud claimed that she was “dating Harry until the moment he sat on the flight going to Love Island,” according to The Sun.
The ‘heartbroken’ source alleged that the Love Islander told her he was going to Bali and she thought the pair “genuinely had a future together.”
Harry admitted to dating the woman – but wouldn’t consider it a “dumping.” He told Daily Star: “I’ve been dating for the last year and leading up to the show, essentially.
“I haven’t told anyone [that I’m going on Love Island] just my mum and some of my closest friends. It wasn’t a dumping, we dated and I told her that I was going away for the summer and then we left it there…that sounds terrible.”
Harry is known as ‘Surrey’s Zidane’ to his Farnham Town supporters, he’s also the body double of Declan Rice during modelling shoots.
The lad understands the naughty “reputation” of footballers and plans to counteract the prejudice of being a ‘ladies man’ by just being himself.
He might resemble one of the greatest football players on the pitch, but Harry insists he’s got no game plan once in the villa.
Harry continued: “That is the reputation of footballers and I can only be myself. I think that me, right now, that’s not who I am. I’m not the player or that kind of guy.
“Look I’ve got a mullet and I’m 30 and I’m ready for someone.
“I’m not going into it with a game plan. I can only be myself, that’s all I can be. I think if you’re not, people will probably see through it so there’s no real games in there.”
Meet the 2025 Love Island cast:
- Sophie Lee, 29, Manchester
- Harry Cooksley, 30, Guildford
- Dejon Noel-Williams, 26, London
- Megan Moore, 25, Southampton
- Tommy Bradley, 22, Hertfordshire
- Alima Gagigo , 23, Glasgow
- Ben Holbrough ,23, Gloucester
- Helena Ford,29, London
- Conor Phillips,25, Stafford
- Megan Forte Clarke, 24, Dublin
- Blu Chigini, 26, London
- Shakira Khan,22, Burnley
Love Island series 12 starts Monday 9 June, airing at 9pm on ITV2 and streaming live on ITVX.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
