Model Sophie Piper on finding romance in the Love Island villa again and being the face of a hot new fashion range
KENZI DEVINE
It’s only been just over a month since Sophie Piper and Joshua Ritchie left the Love Island: All Stars villa – but the pair have already cemented their romance by making it official as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Chatting with new, model Sophie reveals that things are going from strength to strength for the couple.
“Josh and I are really good, it’s weird because it feels like we’ve been out of the villa for longer than a month! But we’re going well and are happy. We’re the two people who probably least expected this to happen,” she explains.
Sophie, 25, who is the younger sister of Rochelle Humes, first rose to fame in 2020 during her original stint on Love Island. She met Connor Durman on the show and went on to have a short-lived romance with him, with things fizzling out six months later.
When we ask whether Sophie expected to find love at all in the villa the second time around, she admits that the stint was originally just to have fun, but she met Josh along the way.
“I didn’t know if I would find love, it was more for fun. I knew the twins [Sophie’s pals Jess and Eve Gale] were doing it, so I thought ‘Why not?’” she says.
Sophie continues, “Josh wasn’t even on my radar of people who I thought were going to be in there. I had a mental list of people I knew would probably do the show, and he just didn’t even cross my mind. I knew of him but we had never met or anything, it was nice.”
Sophie was placed third this time with Josh, 29, who was on the show’s first winter season, and admits that the All Stars series was a more enjoyable experience.
“This time I had more fun. I think because I was older I was more confident this time around. Last time I was very in my own shell and a bit scared to speak up, so it was nice going on as I am now and so the public could see that.”
However, the couple are keen to take things slowly, in a move which breaks the typical Love Island mould. As we point out how Islanders are generally known to move in together fast and probe what will be Sophie and Josh’s next steps, she assures us that they are enjoying the early stages.
“We won’t be moving in together or anything yet, we’re taking things slow,” she says. “He’s in Manchester and I’m in London but we’re still m
