Amber Davies warns of the damage that phones can have on a relationship

The Love Island 2017 winner talked her Bluebella x Amber Davies swimwear collaboration and her dreams of going on 'I'm A Celeb'...

Love Island 2018 has left our screens, seeing Dani and Jack emerge victorious, but they're not out of the water just yet. According to last year's Love Island winner Amber Davies, they have got one crazy year ahead of them.

Relationship tests, A-list events and a lot of exciting collaborations, to name just a few.

Junior Digital News Editor Jenny Proudfoot sat down with Amber to talk all things Love Island, from the reality shock of leaving the show to debating whether love can actually come from it.

With a current swimwear collaboration, Bluebella x Amber Davies, and dreams of going on I'm A Celeb, Amber is undoubtedly where the Love Island 2018 contestants want to be next year.

But what has her first year since leaving the villa entailed? Here's what we know...

Was it weird for you to watch Love Island this year?

Oh I loved it! I was obsessed. Everyone said to me last year that they were obsessed and I couldn’t work out why. I was like, “how can you be?” And then when I watched this year, I was like “Oh my gosh, I understand now how addictive it gets!” But it was so weird for me because I have done it and I know how it works - I know what is really going on behind the scenes and how it is edited and I just felt like I couldn’t give real opinions while it was on TV because I always had that in the back of my mind. One of the weirdest things for me was seeing people sleep in my bed. I was like “Get out of my bed!”

Talk us through the reality shock of leaving the Love Island villa and the sudden fame that comes with it…

I feel like the first few months coming out the villa were the craziest two months of my life. I can’t even remember it - it was that crazy. You’re flown everywhere and you very rarely get to sleep in your own home, but do you know what? You don’t actually have time to think about it – you’re just so busy! You just gradually just get used to it, and because you’re experiencing so much there’s nothing to complain about. The last year of my life honestly feels like it was a month long because it went so fast. Obviously it’s difficult because your private life and everything’s thrown in there, but you learn quickly.

Do you think love can last from Love Island?

100%. I think the bond that you create in there is very old fashioned. Falling in love in the villa is the best way I think - and you do fall in love. You spend eight weeks together with nothing else, it’s impossible not to.

How do you think leaving the villa changes relationships?

You spend so much time with that person - no phone, no social media, no entertainment, no music even. So when you come out and get all of those things back as well as being the other side of the country, it feels like a huge change. I found it hard to retain a relationship, others might not, but I struggled. I actually saw in the paper today that Megan has pulled out of a few jobs to spend time with Wes and I think that’s such a good decision, because at the end of the day you go on Love Island to find love, and I think you just have to compromise. You don't want to lose someone to keep up with the millions of followers that you're getting swept up in having.

What is your advice for lasting on the outside as a couple? 

Take time away from your phone. When Kem and I used to get into bed we would put our phones down and that was really lovely because you need to talk. I think one of the most important things for a successful relationship is communication. And that's not just when coming out of the villa - that's for society in general. Everyone is on their phones and you need to stop and focus on spending time together, not just scrolling through Instagram in the same bed.

What’s it like to have a break up in the media?

It was very difficult. When you have any break up, you want that time for just yourself, but in the media, you can’t have it. There are millions and millions of opinions on your life. It’s really difficult being heartbroken and when you’re getting accused of saying and doing all sorts of things on top of that, it really can be awful - I struggled.

Has Love Island changed the way you date?

It has definitely made it harder to date. I don’t know whether I’m too conscious. I always wonder whether they are in it for the right reasons. Plus fame just makes it hard - you’ll go on a date to a restaurant, get papped coming out and it will be on the Daily Mail within a few hours. I just want a normal guy. I just love a normal guy I do - I come from a normal family and that’s what I would want. I just sometimes question if they're in it for the right reasons. But you never know, do you?

Tell us about Bluebella x Amber Davies...

I wanted to create something different and Bluebella seemed like the perfect brand to work with because their looks are classy AND sexy. I just wanted to do something a bit different and create a swimwear collection made up of different styles and colours but it was important that they were good quality and affordable. And so we just got started - four colours and A LOT of designs. And we worked so well together - we literally turned around the collection so quickly in time for summer.

What was the hardest part of the design process?

Choosing the colours, definitely! I had to choose colours that would look good on everyone. I was putting baby pink by my skin and I thought, 'that will look amazing with a tan'. But I’m pale, so it didn’t suit me - it just looked like I was naked. Honestly, to find four colours that compliment everyone and each other is a huge challenge. And then you have to pick the styles too! We had to work really hard.

What is your favourite piece in the collection?

I love the lilac bodysuit. I’m all for swimsuits at the minute rather than bikinis, and lilac suits everyone. I’m not a purple girl usually, but all of my best friends have been trying them out for me, and despite them all having such different looks, they all look amazing in the lilac. We’re going to Ibiza next week and I’ve got them all a piece from the range.

Other than Love Island, what’s another reality show you would go on?

‘Oh my God, I definitely have to tick I’m a Celeb off my bucket list at some point. I would probably be awful at it but it would be fun! I’m actually very good with heights and I wouldn’t struggle with the trial where you have to eat all the bugs, but anything like snakes – there’s absolutely no way I’m doing it! It’s definitely something I need to tick off one day.

Bluebella x Amber is available at Bluebella.com