LOVE Island winner Paige Turley is refusing to bow to ex-boyfriend Lewis Capaldi’s demand for some of her prize money – so she can pay her debts.
The chart-topper joked in January that he deserves some of the cash if she wins because he is the reason why she earned a place on the ITV2 show.
But Paige, who won the first winter series and shared £50,000 with boyfriend Finn Tapp on Sunday, reckons he won’t get a penny.
In an exclusive chat, she said: “That’s just Lewis, it comes as no surprise he said that. But I can’t give him any money because once I pay off my debts there’ll be nothing left.”
During her time in the villa, Lewis won two Brits — including Best Newcomer — and revealed during one of his acceptance speeches that his hit song Someone You Loved was written about his gran, not Paige as had been speculated.
On Lewis’s revelation, she said: “Lewis has never told me what the songs were about so if he said it was about his nan, then it was.”
Finn said he won’t be intimidated by Lewis if they bump into each other.
The Oxford City footballer says he has his own music ambition and aims to knock the singer “off his perch”.
He joked: “I’ve got a shower-singing album coming out and hopefully he’ll feature on a couple of tracks with me.
“I want to collaborate with him and win Best Newcomer at the Brits next year.
“I’ve never been in a situation where my girlfriend’s had such a high-profile ex. I wouldn’t say it was intimidating, I love his music and I’m a fan. I’m excited to meet him.”
The ITV2 show winners, who are planning to move to Manchester together, say the series was tinged with sadness following the death of the show’s former host Caroline Flack, who was replaced for the winter series by Laura Whitmore.
Finn explained: “We were told just before the final. They wanted to tell us at the best time and the best way and we’re thankful they did that.
“We remember her fondly. We loved her as a fan watching it on telly over the past few series, that’s the relationship we had with her.”
Paige added: “Everybody knew how much she loved Love Island.
“It’s such a sensitive subject, we just send love to Caroline’s family.”
LUKE Trotman realised he had strong feelings for Siannise Fudge when she was at risk of leaving the Love Island villa.
The Darlington footballer said on Monday: “It was when Siannise and Nas Majeed were in the bottom two in the recoupling. I was coupled up with Rebecca Gormley and I was sat opposite Siannise thinking, ‘I don’t want her to leave’. That made me realise that she is the one for me.”
In one of the final episodes of the series, Luke and Siannise, from Bristol, told each other they were in love.
Yesterday she said: “I will do what I’ve got to do to be with him” – even if it means moving up North.”
While many viewers were disappointed the couple lost out to Paige and Finn in the final, Luke claimed: “I’d already won being with Siannise.”
MAYA Jama may have missed out on the Love Island presenting gig but judging from these latest snaps the show is the worse for not having her fronting it.
The TV personality could even have pulled off being a contestant, by the look of her bikini figure she showed off in the Maldives.
She was making an Instagram video of her and a pal larking about and dancing, which is sure to win her lots of extra followers.
NICK Grimshaw is already struggling on his 100-mile desert crossing for Comic Relief – after he got rained on.
He will walk, cycle and dune-ski across the Namib Desert in south west Africa, with The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge, BBC breakfast TV host Louise Minchin, Sun columnist Rob Rinder and EastEnders’ Samantha Womack.
But after a rare rainstorm on day one, the Radio 1 DJ gasped half way through a 35-mile cycle: “I didn’t bring a waterproof, as when would it ever rain in the desert? I’m proper exhausted. This is the worst I’ve ever felt. It is so much harder than anything I have experienced.
“I’m falling off my bike constantly but have to keep going. I’m keeping pace with Louise, my bike buddy. But Rob is so fast. He’s probably at Heathrow already.”
MABEL is about to get even bigger after she won British Female Solo Artist at last week’s Brit Awards.
I’ve learned the singer’s label Polydor has ploughed £100,000 into the video for her new single Boyfriend, which is out Tuesday and expected to feature on her second album.
In the clip she dances with five male models across four floors of a London building and sings about wanting to find the right bloke to be her lover.
An industry insider said: “Mabel has proved she is one of the most promising and exciting women in pop and her team want to make her an international super-star.
“She has spent time in the studio making what they believe will be her biggest hit yet, so they wanted a suitably eye-catching video to go with it.
“It’s going to be huge and she’s really excited to put it out.”
It will be good for Mabel to have something to cheer about, after announcing that her gig in Milan last night had to be axed owing to fears in Italy over coronavirus.
She said: “So sad to have to write this, but safety is the absolute priority here! Hoping to reschedule soon.”
At least she’ll have her new single to sing them when she does get back on stage.
HE’s only six but Eric Cowell has already landed a book deal.
The nipper has teamed up with his music mogul dad Simon to co-write seven kids’ books – which will give Dad’s Britain’s Got Talent co-star David Walliams some competition in the charts.
The family pair have come up with animal fusion characters to feature in their Wishfits series, including Dat (Dog/cat), Chimpanpoo (chimpanzee/poodle) and Hipporoo (hippo/kangaroo).
Simon revealed yesterday that some of the profits will go to kids’ charities Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and Together for Short Lives.
It’s a shame X Factor hybrids Wagward (Wagner/Jedward) and One Difference (One Direction/Same Difference) are unlikely to feature in a spin-off series.
HIS 2018 album Scorpion clocked in at 90 minutes but don’t expect the same from Drake’s follow-up.
He said: “I’m tucked away trying to finish an album. With the last album, I went high volume. This album, I’ll probably make it more concise.”
NICKI Minaj has urged hubby Kenneth Petty to stop rubbing her tum after a video of him doing it prompted rumours she was pregnant with their first child.
She said on Instagram: “He rubs my feet & my stomach. I’ma tell him to stop rubbing my stomach tho.”
K-POP sensations BTS are on course to log their second No1 album with Map Of The Soul: 7.
The group’s seventh album is outselling its three nearest competitors – releases from Ozzy Osbourne, Lewis Capaldi and Stormzy – combined.
KATY Perry has hinted she will debut new music when she performs at the ICC Women’s T20 cricket world cup in Melbourne next month.
Praising the support she has had from Oz she added: “If I bring a little extra something to Australia it’s because you deserve it.”
