Scott-van-der-Sluis on Love Island, Life After Reality TV, and Why He Skipped All Stars

Pull up a seat and get cozy as you listen to this week’s episode of What It’s Giving. The Adebayo sisters welcomed Welsh professional footballer Scott van-der-Sluis, aka Scottisha, to dish on some BTS from Love Island UK and USA. Scott spilled on the whirlwind of balancing a sports career with reality TV fame. 

Scott also dives into his recent travels to the States, his deep-rooted love for Wales, and what is on the horizon for his career. You’ll get a deep laugh as the three friends reconnect and laugh about their first impressions of each other and that steamy Times Square billboard with Scott and other Love Island cast. You might even relate as he shares his mental health journey and the pressure to succeed and being in the limelight. 

The Ups and Downs of Reality Star Fame

Rumors swirled last year about Scott possibly returning to the latest season of Love Island All Stars. While reflecting on his Love Island ex, Catherine Agbaje, Scott made it clear he doesn’t have any plans to return to All Stars. 

But who knows? Maybe the fourth time’s the charm. You never know what could happen if he and Cat were coupled together again. Scott shared his reservations and the fear of him or Cat being hated by fans or how a narrative could be spun. “If I returned to this season of All Stars, I would have coupled up with Catherine because we owed it to the fans to explore that.”

Scott compared the fandom of Love Island to football fanatics and his love for Liverpool. “People take it to heart so much (on every reality show),” he said. “People are passionate. They are like that with Love Island, and they support it the same way I support a football team.”

Fans have the power to give you opportunities and at times, to drive you crazy. “There is a point to stop and realize, it is just a show. In the hour that is shown, I reckon that in the other 23 hours that are filmed, they could spin a completely different story about everyone who is loved and hated,” he said.

Diversity and Love Island Pairings

While Whitney and Scott’s season of Love Island may have been diverse, they agreed that it isn’t true for All Stars or older seasons. For Cat and other Black women on the show, coupling options were slim—a well-known reality behind-the-scenes. Gen Z stars of the beloved dating show are a lot more open to dating outside of their type.

“You are messing with an older generation of All Stars men who don’t branch outside of their type, other than hair color. They are not open to getting to know anyone who isn’t brunette or blonde,” Whitney says. “Cat is one of the baddest girls on there, but there is not even a grace of a conversation of ‘Let me get to know her.’ They’re just dismissive and like, ‘No, not my type.’” 

It’s a bit of Catch 22 for producers as the biggest stars from older generations don’t branch out of their type. “For you to get people who do branch out of their type, you probably have to go outside of All Stars, but then, you get complaints about not having people who are All Stars,” Scott explains.

On Diving Into Reality TV Stardom 

Scott went from Love Island UK to Love Island USA to Love Island Games—all within the span of three months. Across all three seasons, he was just 22. Now, at 24, he has lived and learned. Despite having an old soul, he shares he still has room to grow. “There is still 30 percent in my head that is a complete child; I need to be around youth.”

He knew he was going to the Games after his second season—and he’s not afraid to say money was his motivation. “They put money in front of me. I was an actor at that point,” he says. He made good money, which is why he hasn’t done much since. While he’s still figuring out what the future holds, for now, he’s still riding the wave of Love Island stardom.

Scott was a fan of the show before joining the cast. While he was down for the drama, he was also a fan of love. “I don’t know if I am fully ready to settle down right now, but I actually want to see people get together.”

Life After Reality TV

Scott shared that there are three stages after Love Island fame: Stage 1: A little bit of fame and everyone is talking about you. Stage 2: The fame fades and no one is talking about you. Stage 3: You get comfortable with your life and your routine.

Whitney agreed. “When you come out of Love Island, you get overwhelmed by the number of people talking about you. Eventually, you get to a stage where you know who you are and you are okay.” 

After people stop talking about you, it can affect your mental state. For Scott though, there was a time when the online hate and comments from trolls affected him. There’s even a chat on X of people who despised him, but he’s learned to handle it. “Now, anyone can say anything about me, and I’m good,” he says. 

After reality TV, Scott always thought he’d be a premier league footballer, but he had to deal with the disappointment of not being good enough. “What I want to go into is to have a platform to speak to a player who didn’t make it as a professional. When I realized I wasn’t going to make it in football, it was the toughest time for me mentally, harder than coming off of Love Island.”

Whitney agreed about the journey to confidence after reality TV fame. “Eventually with time, you learn not to worry yourself with it anymore and you know who you are.” Cheers to not caring about the online hate and figuring out who you are without the fame.