Sean Fitzgerald has been confirmed as a contestant on the reality TV dating show Love Island.
The Galway GAA footballer will appear on the hit ITV reality show starting this Monday, June 1 at 9pm. Hosted by Maya Jama, the series returns to Virgin Media Player and Virgin Media Two for its 13th season as a new group of singles prepare to find love under the Mallorca sun.
It was revealed last week that the Bearna clubman had stepped away from the Galway senior football panel amid mounting speculation that he was set to appear on the upcoming season of Love Island. His absence from Galway’s Connacht final squad against Roscommon kicked off rumours that he could potentially appear on the show.
Fitzgerald joined the Galway senior panel in 2022 after helping the county win the 2020 All-Ireland U20 title and has been a regular in the number three jersey for Pádraic Joyce’s side up until this season’s league campaign where he was in and out of the team as competition for places heated up.
The timing of his reported move is particularly interesting given Galway are still well in contention to secure a first Sam Maguire since 2001. The move has been widely commented upon in GAA circles nationwide as it is a first for the organisation and the sport. Several rugby stars have already featured, as well as Longford woman Maura Higgins who has made a successful career out of it.
The 25-year-old primary school teacher admitted that while he is entering the show in the hope of finding love, but he’s also there for the drama. “I won’t be getting involved in it, I might be mixing it”.
What will the Galway full-back do if he he sees someone he likes in the villa?
“If I see someone I like, I’m going for it and nothing’s gonna stop me.”
When asked to describe his ‘type on paper’, Fitzgerald did not mince his words: “Female!”
The Barna man’s approach to relationships, he says, is to keep playing forward and “if it’s not on, pass it back and go forward again. Eventually, you’ll get a goal”.
“Cockiness and a dry personality” are his non-runners when looking for love in the Love Island villa this summer.
Fitzgerald is not your stereotypical inter-county footballer. He is also a social media personality, amassing close to 100,000 TikTok followers and more than 40,000 followers on Instagram. The sportsman posted an audition clip for Love Island on his TikTok account in February that went viral.
Fitzgerald joins a growing list of Irish contestants to appear on Love Island. Maura Higgins of Longford is the most high-profile name to feature on the show to date. Limerick’s Greg O’Shea won the show in his couple with Amber Rose Gill in 2019.
Also joining the Irishman on the dating show is Robyn, 21, from Liverpool, who says her type is “tall, fair, muscular, with nice teeth – a pretty boy”.
Business owner Lorenzo, 28, from Hertfordshire, said his type is “traditionally blonde”.
Meanwhile, student Mica, 21, who is originally from Barbados but lives in London, said she would be turned off by a “really egotistical, cringey man”.
Also joining the show is Ellie, 24, a real estate videographer from West Lothian. She’s looking for a man who is “tall, dark and handsome” with a “pretty face”.
Model Samraj, 25, from Birmingham says he doesn’t have a type and believes that if you’re cheeky enough, “you can get away with everything”.
Lola, 28, is a detective from Kent whose type is “tall, Italian-looking”, adding that “funny goes such a long way”.
Samuel, 25, is an electrician from Dudley who would like to meet “someone classy, mature, blonde, fun, and someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously”.
Angelista, 24, is a nurse from Staffordshire who wants “a quietly confident man with nice teeth”.
Ope, 27, is a West End performer from Lincolnshire who is “never playing anything safe” and has not “really got a type”.
Jasmine, 27, is a fashion business owner from Dubai living in London who does not believe “insecure men could handle me”.
Finally, Aidan, 23, is a property broker from Kent who believes “personality is the most important thing”.
Love Island returns on Monday, June 1 on Virgin Media Player and Virgin Media Two. The eyes of Galway will be peeled to see if Fitzgerald can bring the Love Island crown to the west.
