‘Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard pressured to label his sexuality in ‘excruciating’ ‘Good Morning Britain’ interview
Viewers branded the segment "more like an interrogation than interview".
By Will Stroude
Words: Will Stroude
Love Island‘s Curtis Pritchard was involved in an uncomfortable exchange on Good Morning Britain on Thursday (8 August) after being asked incessant questions about his sexuality.
The reality TV star and professional dancer, 23, who earlier this week said he ‘wouldn’t rule out’ a relationship with a man, was repeatedly pressured to label his sexuality by hosts Kate Garraway and Adil Ray in an interview branded “excruciating” by viewers.
Asked by Garraway about his previous comments about possibly finding love with a man, Curtis, who is currently dating Love Island co-star Maura Higgins, replied: “I think the future’s a road which is unwritten. No one can ever say what’s going to happen in the future really.
“I never want to label what the future’s going to be, because I don’t think anyone can really ever do that.
“All I wanna say is I am 100 per cent comfortable where I am now in my relationship with Maura, and it is moving in the correct direction.”
He was then put on the spot by Ray, who asked: “Are you saying you’re bisexual?”
Curtis replied firmly: “I’m not labelling anything.”
But Ray pressed on, asking: “Why not?”
‘I never want to label what the future is going to be because I don’t think anyone can really ever do that.’#LoveIsland‘s Curtis Pritchard addresses rumours about his sexuality. pic.twitter.com/RsAPJxo6sY
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) August 8, 2019
Curtis, who appeared as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars Ireland before heading into the Love Island villa earlier this summer, remained level-headed as he responded: “Because I don’t feel like I need to label anything.
He continued: “So many people put labels on things, people say things and this and that and… things change.
“That’s why I’m not labelling anything, because I would be lying to any one of you.”
The Good Morning Britain hosts didn’t stop there however, going on to ask Curtis about his friendship with Love Island‘s Tommy Fury – who he shared a platonic kiss with during his time on the ITV2 show – and whether he had romantic feelings for any of his male co-stars.
Pritchard replied: “Look, I’m a man’s man. I like company around guys. I like to have guy friends.
“We had that initial connection, I’m not saying the villa is a trauma, but you go through a traumatic time even though it’s amazing traumatic, and we were there for each other.”
Viewers expressed their shock at the Good Morning Britain hosts’ line of questioning on social media, with one tweeting the segment felt “more like an interrogation than interview”.
One viewer wrote on Twitter: “Interrogating someone about their sexuality on tv? He shouldn’t be forced to say or label himself as anything. Let him live.”
Interrogating someone about their sexuality on tv? He shouldn’t be forced to say or label himself as anything. Let him live
— Elsie (@ElsieeeMayyy) August 8, 2019
Stopping flogging a dead horse. His business no one else’s. That interview was excruciating.
— Stute Lady (@StuteLady) August 8, 2019
Another added: “Stopping flogging a dead horse. His business no one else’s. That interview was excruciating.”
Curtis’s open-minded attitude to love and relationships echoes that of older brother and Strictly Come Dancing pro AJ, who last year insisted he shouldn’t have to “define” his sexuality for other people’s benefit.
When asked about Curtis’ kiss with Tommy during Love Island‘s run earlier this summer, AJ said: “For us it’s always about being happy.
“You don’t have to question what you’ve done as long as you’re happy in that moment.”