Love Island’s Amber Gill ‘still figuring out’ sexuality as she breaks silence on dating Jen Beattie
Love Island winner Amber Gill was in a relationship with footballer Jen Beattie. (Getty/Jeff Spicer)
Love Island winner Amber Gill wants to create a documentary about her coming out experience, explaining that she’s still figuring out her sexuality.
In 2022, the TV star sparked rumours about her sexuality after tweeting that she was “switching teams”, and has since confirmed that she is dating Scottish footballer Jen Beattie.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Gill revealed that understanding her sexuality has not been a linear journey.
Questioned on whether she was curious about her sexuality before signing up for Love Island, Gill said: “I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out. Whether I did or I didn’t, I just know there was a certain point where I was like: ‘I want to pursue serious relationships with women.’
“I’m still figuring it all out, so I might do some sort of TV or documentary around that because I think it’s important… to have a story [about] coming out late.”
Now 25, Gill explained that she wants to provide visibility for people who don’t feel able to come out during their teenage years and are still questioning their sexuality.
“I bet loads of people feel if they’ve got to a certain age, they can’t come out now. And you can, whenever you want. You can decide whatever you want for yourself, whenever you want.
“I love people who have paved the way and known since they were young and advocated for us, but the people who haven’t done that are still valid and part of the community,” she added.
“I want to show them that you can still be part of the community whether you come out at 17 or 20 or 25.”
Research suggests that for queer women in particular, harmful stereotypes prevent them from coming out, with two-thirds of lesbians delaying telling anyone about their sexuality.
Gill won ITV’s hugely popular reality series in 2019, alongside partner and rugby player Greg O’Shea, but the pair split up shortly after the show ended.
She said a lot of the show’s viewers “weren’t expecting” her to come out, and that “it’s taken a little while for people to get used to it”.
Surprised or not, many fans were obsessed with her nonchalant method of revealing her sexuality.
Reflecting on her viral “switching teams” tweet, Gill previously suggested that it was an “accidental” coming out.
“I remember looking at it [the tweet] and thinking, ‘S**t, what have I said?'” she told showbiz gossip show Access All Areas on Fubar Radio, in August.
How did this story make you feel?
