Love Island’s Luca Bish says John Torode helped him after Gemma Owen split

Luca Bish enjoyed a sensational few weeks in the national spotlight as he entered the Love Island villa last summer, coupling up with Gemma Owen and surviving until the final with her, despite rows and doubts during the show.

However, his turbulent time on ITV has only just matched the whirlwind of the past 12 months for the rising star, especially when it was revealed that he and Gemma split just four months after exiting the villa.

As the reality star takes to BBC’s Celebrity MasterChef, the 24-year-old told OK! Magazine the culinary show has massively helped rebuild his confidence after his split, with host John Torode taking a starring role in his recovery.

The former fishmonger admitted he had some concerns about going back into television, but the experience was so delightful it “brought me back to being the Luca before the villa”.

As he was struggling with his new life in the public eye and a sensational split, Luca found solace in an unlikely ally; MasterChef judge John Torode.

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He recalled John confronting him during filming, declaring: “I don’t know what happened on that island, but you really need to follow and do what you want to do.

“It feels like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. I expect really big things for you.”

Luca admits he “got a bit emotional” over John’s words as he was the first professional in the television industry to give him some validation and saw that the Love Islander was losing himself in the lights and cameras.

He continued: “It gave me a right kick up the a**e. And I don’t know if he’ll ever know what it did, him saying that, but it went a long way.”

Having gone through his first break up in the spotlight, the star revealed that the most surprising part is forgetting how many people are heavily invested and engaged with his relationship and private life, noting that the support from those fans “was a nice feeling”.

However, Luca confessed he does miss his privacy as he recalled stepping out of his home in his pants one day to quickly move his car when people began asking him for photos.