Love Island 2017 star Gabby Allen has admitted to breaking her own dating rules while appearing on the new series of Celebs Go Dating. The 34-year-old fitness entrepreneur, who shot to fame almost a decade ago, has been reflecting on her romantic journey and realising where she has been going wrong.
Blindsided by Lust
Gabby confessed that she often overlooks warning signs in relationships. "I get blindsided by lust," she said. "I really like fancying people so I let the red flags go. I just seem to ignore them. Chemistry and being super attracted to somebody is very important to me."
She is appearing on the show alongside Loose Woman Coleen Nolan, rapper Professor Green, MAFS Australia star Lucinda Light, content creator PK Humble, Celebrity Big Brother star David Potts, and former rugby player James Haskell. The celebrities are guided by TV therapists Anna Williamson, Paul Carrick Brunson, and sexpert Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn.
Narrow-Minded Perspective
Gabby, who won Love Island: All Stars season two with Casey O'Gorman, realised she often discounts potential partners. "I found out pretty soon that I have a narrow-minded perspective of what it is I'm looking for," she revealed. "I am still single at 34, so obviously I'm doing something wrong if I'm not in a relationship yet. It definitely opened my eyes to look at potential other prospects."
She acknowledged that she almost exclusively dates younger men and decided to try something different on the show. "I only ever really attract younger guys, so I thought maybe I should date older guys," she said. "You'll see as the show goes on there's a range of younger and older guys, then I realise it doesn't come down to age, it's about whether you're aligned on certain things. Age is just a number, so young fellas are still on the cards!"
Plans for Motherhood
Despite her successful fitness empire and active social life, Gabby always thought she would be married with children by now. Instead, she is preparing to freeze her eggs. "I thought that by my age I'd have kids and be living in the countryside," she said. "I feel very privileged to live in a generation when women are getting older before they start families and settle down. I thought I'd feel more pressure to be in that position already, but I don't feel that like now."
Gabby, who suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), decided to freeze her eggs to ensure she doesn't miss out on motherhood. "I decided last year to freeze my eggs, mainly because women with PCOS can have problems with conceiving," she explained. "I'm planning ahead to make sure that isn't where I find myself."
Inspired by Kerry Katona
Last year, Kerry Katona met her fiancé Paolo Margaglione on Celebs Go Dating, which inspired Gabby to sign up. "I was happy to go in open-minded, thinking I could potentially meet somebody," she said. "Some people have had success and dated after the show. Kerry's now in a long-term relationship with her fella."
Gabby found the experience different from Love Island. "On Love Island, you have to make your own decisions and go off what you think you should do," she explained. "On Celebs Go Dating, you get the help of the agents, who are so good. I really enjoyed our sessions and I did take on board a lot of what they said. I've learnt a lot from them."
Girl Power
Earlier this year, Gabby was joint winner of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins alongside fellow Love Island star Dani Dyer and Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm. "I wanted to show that I'm strong, and that women are strong," she said. "The fact that three girls got to the end was real girl power. We definitely showed everyone that girls rule. I was so much stronger than I thought I was going to be."
