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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

ITV Love Island winner Ekin-Su looks so different as first reality appearance resurfaces

Love Island 's Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu won hearts as well as finding love in this year's Love Island. The stunning Turkish actress was swept off her feet, literally, as she and Manchester business owner Davide Sanclimenti were crowned winners in Monday night's final.

She screamed with delight and her man lifted her in the air as they triumphed in the Mallorca villa, scooping the £50,000 prize to share. As the 'Turkish delight' and the 'Italian snack' adjust to life after their eight weeks spent on the ITV2 dating contest, Ekin-Su looks unrecognisable in a resurfaced 'reality show' video.

The 27-year-old, who was introduced to Love Island as an actress on the Turkish soap Kuzey Yildizi, is said to have taken part in Lancashore, made by student TV station PSTV in 2012, whilst she was at the University of Central Lancashire studying performing arts. In the show, shared on YouTube, Ekin-Su went by the name Susie Hazel.

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In a pilot for Lancashore, described as a 'reality TV show following the lives of a group of students in Preston,' Ekin-Su looks so different as she chatted to her castmates. She looked super-glam even in her uni days in a monochrome figure-hugging dress but looked almost unrecognisable with darker tresses.

And a decade before enjoying romantic dates with Davide including a trip to a vineyard and being serenaded by tenor Alfie Boe, she opened up to her pals about her ideal date. Her friends giggled as she ruled out a trip to Nando's.

Ekin-Su in the pilot for Lancashore (PSTV)

She said: "My date would probably be to go to a posh restaurant with a lovely view of the London Bridge, the London Eye, starters, main course, desserts." And she added: "I want wine, everything. Classy. I would not go to Nandos on a first date and always make a guy pay for you."

Kirsty M commented: "It’s Ekin Su omg." And Emily Nightingale gasped: "WHAAA." Before entering the villa Ekin-Su said she was 'looking for that real genuine spark and they just see me as me.'

She also said she was 'looking for a serious man and a serious relationship' and she found her match in the hunky Italian after a rocky start. He branded her a 'liar' and an 'actress' after she was caught out sneaking to the terrace for kisses with newcomer Jay Younger but Ekin-Su set out to prove she had changed her ways and that she only had eyes for Davide.

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