Strictly’s Zara McDermott’s nerves about ‘having sex on Love Island’

Zara McDermott , who previously helped write speeches for ex-PM David Cameron , has admitted she thought about politics in a bid to distract her from temptation during her Love Island stint in 2018. During an unearthed interview with The Sun , Zara admitted she struggled to stave off the temptation to bed her co-star Adam Collard on the show. “It was difficult not to take things further [because] we were unbelievably close, inseparable… who isn’t tempted when you’re really into someone? “It was tough when I was in bed with a man I really liked and cared about, but I was nervous about my job if I had sex on screen,” she explained. At the time of her reality TV debut, Zara had been working for Education Secretary Damian Hinds for eight months and had taken time off to do the show. Zara McDermott is the first Love Island star to compete in Strictly Come Dancing. (Image: INSTAGRAM) She’d believed she might return, before modelling contracts and Instagram influencing deals beckoned, as she felt her role held “a bit of clout”. The 26-year-old added: “I’ve done some pretty amazing things [at work], so it’s not something I wanted to jeopardise.” Meanwhile, Adam had tried his luck with a couple of other girls on the show before turning to Zara, including Kendall Rae-Knight, followed by Rosie Williams. He received negative publicity after dumping both girls to be with their successors, but Zara defended him at the time, stating that the show was purely a “game”. Zara McDermott and Adam Collard getting close during a scene on Love Island (Image: ITV2) Meanwhile, she was keen to insist that her Love Island appearance didn’t impact her ability to work as a government advisor – and stated in the summer of 2018 that her employer was keen for her to come back. She said she’d been honest about her reality TV plans, but had “assumed” no one from work would tune in, adding that it could have been “awkward” for her if they had spotted her in a bikini. Zara also joked about which MPs she would like to see in a Love Island role, quipping that she wouldn’t like to encounter Boris Johnson in “tiny shorts”. However, she concluded: “Working in government doesn’t mean I can’t pursue something fun and exciting or bring something new to my life.” Zara McDermott with Strictly dance partner Graziano di Prima (Image: BBC) Though she didn’t return to her earlier role after her fame and popularity with the nation took off, she did explore multiple avenues to build her career. Now loved up with Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson , she is the first Love Island star ever to make it onto the BBC ‘s Strictly Come Dancing – something that has left her overjoyed. She and pro partner Graziano di Prima were a hit when they danced the Cha Cha together in time to ‘Crush’ by Jennifer Paige last weekend. Despite receiving a brutal score of just three from judge Craig Revel-Horwood , Zara’s spirits have remained high, with her quipping: “It’s not a bad start to be honest, on day one I would have got zero.. I’m over the moon with how it went.”