October 3rd, 2006 by Lisa McGarry.
Love Island winner Bianca Gascoigne said she is torn between fellow Love Island contestants Calum Best, 25, and The Streets singer 29-year-old Leo Ihenacho.
She has also described how growing up amid domestic violence at the hands of her stepdad, Paul, has affected her, and how she turned to comfort eating on the island.
Speaking about Calum, she said: “I’ve always fancied him. I couldn’t believe my luck when he turned up on the island. He’s my dream man!
“We went out as friends. We get on well. I have admitted it’s a lust thing with Calum – I won’t deny that.
“I love a bad boy. But I do genuinely think he wants to get rid of that tag. He really wants to find someone to have a proper relationship with.”
However, she also admitted she still has feelings for Leo. She said: “Leo’s got a great sense of humour and a great sense of life and other people. He’s lovely.
“When I left, we were on the phone every day, but this last week we didn’t speak and I didn’t know what was going on. But then he called me yesterday to say he liked some pictures of me he had seen on a magazine. That was nice.
“I love them both.”
However, she says she isn’t in a hurry to get into a new relationship. She said: “I’m happy for now. I’ve been single since February and that’s a big step for me as I’ve always needed a boyfriend. I used to be really needy, but now I’m having fun being single.”
She also spoke about her turbulent relationship with her stepdad Gazza. Describing his violent marriage to her mother, she said: “The things I’ve gone through in life have affected me, and made me the person I am.
“I texted him last week because he phoned my mum. She was upset after the horrible things he’d said in the papers, but he told her he was proud of me, so I texted him to say thanks.
“The man I call ‘dad’ publicly disowned me. I’m just getting on with life.”
Talking to New! magazine about her time on Love Island, she said that the other girls’ comments about her weight had upset her.
She said: “I’ve got weight issues, and the comments brought back memories of me being a chubby child. It also made people on the island focus on my weight, which I didn’t want. But I was comfort eating a lot out there.
“It was a stressful situation and I missed my mum a lot.”
The former fashion buyer also spoke about her hopes for the future since winning Love Island, and has said she would like to move into music.
She said: “I’ve had two offers for presenting work, which is exciting. But I’m also passionate about singing and some music producers have been in touch. Hopefully I will be recording some material soon.
“I’d like to make music like Beyonce’s. I’m very ambitious. I wouldn’t be happy with just a number one single. I’d want a number on album.”
However, she has denied that she would like to follow Calum’s example and move into modelling.
She said: “I did a shoot for a men’s mag recently. I was nervous because of my weight gain, but I liked the end result. I don’t want to be a glamour girl though.”