Love Island star Conor Phillips has finally clarified the emotional moment viewers saw him break down in tears while sharing a bed with Shakira Khan on this year's series. The Irish rugby player, who entered the villa as a late replacement for Kyle Ashman, had a turbulent journey that saw him form more couples than any other Islander in the show's history.
Phillips and Khan had been close friends from the start, but their romantic connection fizzled out when Khan realised she still had feelings for Harry Cooksley. Despite ending their romance, they were still required to share a bed as they remained coupled up, leading to an awkward and tearful scene that left viewers confused.
In an exclusive interview with heat magazine alongside his now-girlfriend Megan Forte Clarke, Phillips explained the context behind the emotional moment. 'I knew for a couple of days that it probably wasn't going to work but I was giving it every chance that I could,' he said. 'We had that conversation that she wanted to sort of step away... she was just afraid that I was going to be really annoyed and not want to speak to her again, which were my initial thoughts.'
Phillips added that Megan's return to the villa helped ease the situation, and his tears were largely due to seeing a close friend upset. 'When we were in bed... it's because she'd been having a really rough time as well... I was just really upset that she was upset,' he concluded.
