Ad

Latest Posts

Spotlight On: Love Island star Matthew MacNabb and Dancing with the Stars pro Laura Nolan

Matthew MacNabb and Laura Nolan are one of Ireland’s hottest celebrity couples. 

The Love Island star and the Dancing with the Stars pro are Goss.ie‘s latest Spotlight On cover stars, and in this exclusive interview they open up about finding love when they least expected it. 

The TV stars also discuss their plans for the future, and share the secret to a happy and healthy relationship. 

Laura Nolan and Matthew MacNabb at The Gossies 2023 | Brian McEvoy

Matthew shot to fame after appearing on Love Island back in 2021, where he was a Casa Amor bombshell. 

Although he didn’t find love on the hit dating show, he appeared on RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars just a few months later and met his girlfriend Laura – who he was paired up with.

After weeks of speculation, Matthew and Laura confirmed their romance live on TV by sharing a kiss at the end of their last dance. 

“our relationship was the worst kept secret in dancing with the stars history!”

Since then, the couple have gone from strength to strength, and they now spend most of their time living together in Dublin.

Laura and Matthew found love on the 2022 series of Dancing with the Stars

In this exclusive interview, Matthew opens up about his time in the Love Island villa, and reveals which contestants he’s stayed in touch with.

Laura also tells us about her time on Dancing with the Stars, and speaks out on the future of the show.

Check out Matthew and Laura’s full interview below:

Matthew, you didn’t find love on Love Island but you did a few months later on Dancing with the Stars. When did your relationship with Laura turn romantic? Who made the first move? 

L: “He’s going to completely lie and say I made the first move, but I did not!”

M: “I pulled her within one week! I’m super smooth…”

“I pulled her within one week, i’m super smooth…”

L: “It did happen pretty soon didn’t it? But after our first kiss, I was just thinking about my career and how important that is to me, and how I didn’t want anything to obstruct what we were actually doing on the show. But we did like each other, so we just took things easy at the start and then about four or five weeks in, I realised just how much I liked him.

“And then after the show, we were just going along with things and enjoying each other’s company, we hadn’t really discussed what we were…”

M: “And then everyone was saying, ‘Matthew and his girlfriend’, and we hadn’t even talked about going out!”

L” “So we were like, ‘Right, I guess we’re girlfriend and boyfriend!”

Matthew confirmed his romance with Laura live on TV: “That was not planned!” | KOBPIX.

Were you nervous about going public with your relationship? 

L: “Jennifer Zamparelli said to us recently, ‘That was the worst kept secret on the show, that you guys were going out!'”

M: “We weren’t really nervous to be honest, we were only covering it up so we didn’t take away from the show itself. I think it’s a bit superficial if you make your relationship too public straight away, because you don’t want there to be this circus. You want to let it develop naturally. So when it did get announced, when I kissed Laura…”

L: “That was not planned! I didn’t know Matthew was going to do that. But at the same time, I was glad then that everyone finally knew.”

What are the biggest challenges that come with having a relationship in the public eye? 

M: “I actually don’t think there are any challenges. I don’t feel any pressure whatsoever. I’ve always had my own mind, so I’ll do what I want to do.”

L: “I think both of us are quite mentally strong people, so when we see articles about our relationship we don’t let it get to us. We’re used to it by now. I wouldn’t say there’s any public pressure anyway. We’re both very open and honest people, so we’ve no issues sharing what we’re doing online or whatever. Because of that, there’s no pressure.”

“We’re both quite mentally strong people, so when we see articles about our relationship we don’t let it get to us…”

M: “I feel like if you’re trying to be somebody else, that’s where the pressure comes in. If you’re trying to portray yourself in a certain way, then you might feel some pressure, but we’re just being ourselves.”

L: “You see it a lot online, people are trying to be this online character. But we’re both so natural and we would never just share artificial content to impress others… We also don’t really see ourselves as these massive public figures. We’re still the same people that we were before we became well-known.”

Pic Brian McEvoy

Matthew is from Co. Down, while Laura is a Dublin native. The couple navigated a long-distance relationship for a while, but they now tell me they are practically living together in Dublin…

What is your living situation at the moment?

M: “We’re pretty much living together now. We spend most of our time in Dublin, but I also still spend some time up North. We spend pretty much most of the week together now.”

L: “Now that DWTS is over, I plan on visiting Matthew’s family up North because I haven’t seen them since November. He has a new nephew now as well, so I can’t wait to meet him.”

You are both very busy people. How do you make your relationship work with such busy schedules? 

M: “We’re quite flexible. I work on my laptop so I can work from anywhere really, and I can still be with Laura while I’m working. I also love dancing now, so I help Laura out with her classes sometimes. During those really intense, busy periods we just try to do whatever we can to spend time together.”

L: “Yeah like we’ll even just go for a breakfast together if we know we have a really busy afternoon, or we’ll go for a walk or go to the gym together. We’re both very relaxed people when it comes to that, so we do whatever we can to make it work.”

“I don’t think we’ve had one argument since we started dating…”

What would you say is the secret to a healthy and happy relationship? 

M: “Definitely having an independent mind, and having your own life and goals. We both have different things we want to focus on, and support each other with that. I also feel like if you’re confident in yourself and confident in your relationship, it’s pretty simple.

“I don’t think we’ve had one argument since we started dating… Well, there was one actually when we were in Spain. It was a silly one though, where I thought we should go to one restaurant and Laura wasn’t happy with it.”

L: “And I wouldn’t even say that was an argument it was a tiff! It only lasted about three minutes. The two of us have very good communication, and I think that’s important. We’re very open with each other.”

M: “Yeah communication is key. Like I will tell Laura if I’m sick of her (laughs).”

“We’re very open with each other,” Laura admits.

Matthew, you were living in Spain for a few months last year and Laura, you spent some time over there with him. Would you guys ever consider relocating, or would you like to settle down in Ireland? 

L: “We’re at the point in our lives where we do want to experience things and travel a bit. We were only speaking about that the other day, where we think we want to settle down, but it really depends…

“At this moment with our careers, we can still travel. We can spend a few months here and a few months there, but Ireland is our main base. In a couple of years time when we actually want to go and buy somewhere, we’ll then make a decision on where that will be. It probably will be Ireland…”

M: “Or California. A lot of my friends are there, and myself and Laura both love it there.”

L: “That’s something we’ll decide on down the line anyway!”

Your relationship has gone from strength to strength over the past year. Have you discussed whether you would like to get married and start a family together in the future? 

M: “Well Laura bought me two rings, so I don’t know. She’s been hinting at an engagement every two seconds!”

L: “We definitely have had conversations about the future. We definitely do see ourselves taking those steps. When you know, you know. And we know.”

“I’ve never had a relationship like this…”

You both seem so loved-up and happy. 

L: “We really are. We don’t want to seem like one of those couples who try to be perfect, but everything genuinely is so perfect. I’ve never had a relationship like this. We’re not trying to be soppy or anything, it’s just the way it is.”

Laura Nolan and Matthew McNabb at the Goss.ie 8th Birthday at Krystle Nightclub,Dublin
Pic Brian McEvoy

Let’s take it back to the beginning. Matthew, you appeared on Love Island back in 2021. Why did you decide to sign up for the show? Were you approached or did you apply yourself?

M: “I got back from California, where I was living for two years. I got a message on Instagram from a verified ITV cast agency, and they were like: ‘We think you’re perfect for the show, would you be interested in doing it?’ And I was, so then I went on a call, filled out an application form, sent over some pictures and a video, met with the producer and executive producers, and flew to London. They then sent me across to Spain a few months after that.

“The reason I signed up for it was because they reached out to me, but also because why not? Life is an adventure, you want to do as much as possible and experience as much as possible. Love Island is something that not many people get to do, so I just went for it.”

Viewers think some people are signing up to Love Island for the fame now instead of to find love. Were you actually hoping to find love on the show? 

M: “I said the same thing to the producers at the start; I was open to finding love, but not looking for it. The whole reason I did it was for the experience. I just wanted to meet new people and have a good time. I think that’s a pretty wholesome way of going about it. That was my intention, and it did me well I think. I enjoyed it, I had no expectations, and I wasn’t let down.”

Are you still in touch with anyone from the show? 

M: “Yeah, I’m still in touch with Liam [Reardon], Teddy [Soares], Chuggs [Wallis], Aaron… I haven’t really seen a lot of the boys since Love Island, everyone is just doing their own thing. A lot of them are in London now so if I’m over there, I’ll have to link up with them.”

Matthew appeared on Love Island in 2021 | ITV

Millie Court and Liam Reardon, who won the 2021 series of Love Island, split last summer. All the other couples from the season, including Faye Winter and Teddy Soares, and Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran have also called it quits…

None of the couples from your season stayed together after the show. Which break-up shocked you the most, and why? 

M: “It’s hard to say… I didn’t really put much thought into it to be honest. It’s hard to predict whether couples were survive in the outside world because it’s like a bubble when you’re in the villa. You come out and it’s hard to know whether real life variables will impact on your relationship or not.”

This year, Love Island bosses introduced a new social media ban to protect contestants and their families. What are your thoughts on that ban? Would you have liked the same ban while you were in the villa to stop trolling? 

M: “To be honest, I was very lucky because I didn’t really get much abuse, so my parents didn’t really experience too much of it. There was this one Irish Love Island fan who seemed to hate me for some reason, but my family all just laughed at her. But that was the only one, so I don’t think I can really comment on whether or not the ban worked because I don’t know what those families experienced. I definitely think it was worth trying out though to see if it was effective or not.”

Matthew was a Casa Amor bombshell, who was brought back to the main villa by Kaz Kamwi | ©ITV Plc

Laura, you’ve been working on Dancing with the Stars since 2019. What do you love the most about your job? 

L: “When I was competing as a dancer, it was all about doing the routines you were going to compete with, and you stick to your lane. So for me, it was ballroom and Latin. But with Dancing with the Stars, you get to open your mind quite rapidly and creatively, and get to do all different styles of dance.

“You’re creating a different routine and a different vision every single week. It gives you the opportunity to really grow as a dancer overall, instead of just sticking with the one style of dance you’re competing it.

“It’s also just great fun being on the show. The adrenaline you feel performing in front of the live audience, the judges, and the nation at home is incredible.”

You were paired up with Kevin McGahern this season, and just missed out on a place in the final. What was it like working with him?

L: “I was so delighted to work with Kevin. He actually came into the show very last minute. He was called and he just said yes on the spot. Nobody knew what he was going to be like as a dancer, and he shocked everyone! He was so dedicated and took it very seriously. We did laugh a lot too, so I was delighted we were partnered together.”

Carl Mullan won the series, which came as a surprise to some people. Were you shocked by his win, or who were you backing?

L: “It actually didn’t come as a shock to me at all. I said it to Jennifer Zamparelli on her show the Monday after myself and Kevin were eliminated that I thought Carl and his pro partner Emily Barker could do it, purely because of the public vote and the fact he’s so popular.

“The competition this year was very close, there was no one person that was better every single week. Even in the quarter final and semi final, nobody knew who would be in the bottom two whereas usually, that’s quite clear. But this year, it could’ve went any way.

“I was so, so happy for Emily because she has been on the show since season one and never won it. So from a professional perspective, I was really delighted for her. I was hoping that she could go and do it, given it was her third final.”

Laura was paired up with Kevin McGahern on the 2022 series of DWTS

There’s been a lot of talk about the future of the show, and we were recently told that it will be renewed for another season despite axe speculation. Have you been told anything yet? If the show does return, would you like to do another season?

L: “If it’s coming back, yes absolutely I would love to do another season. It’s such a fantastic show to be a part of, and it would be silly for me to say no. It opens up so many different doors creatively for me, so yeah I would definitely love to be on it if it’s back. But we haven’t been told yet if it will be so we’re not even 100% sure.

“Even at the wrap party, the producers were saying it was strange for them because they’re still waiting for confirmation on the future of the show also. They were saying: ‘It was such an amazing season and we’re so delighted with how it went, the viewers were really strong.’ But they still don’t have confirmation on what’s happening, so we’ll just have to wait and see…”

“We’re still waiting for confirmation on the future of dancing with the stars…”

Doireann Garrihy joined Jennifer Zamparelli as host this season, how do you think she got on? Do you think she helped with bringing in more viewers?

L: “Yeah it was such a nice dynamic this year with the two girls because they’re also friends, so it was a very chilled atmosphere. The two of them got on so well, so it was lovely. Doireann was great because she already had connections with some of the celebrities, so there was always craic as well. It was also great seeing the girls’ fashion!”

So Matthew you’ve done Love Island and DWTS, and Laura you’ve done DWTS and Ultimate Hell Week. Are there any other shows you guys would like to do?

M: “I would love to do I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! or SAS: Who Dares Wins. If the opportunity to do a show like that came about, I would absolutely love to do it.”

L: “Yeah I would also love I’m A Celeb. Or MasterChef or Bake Off.”

As we come to the end of our interview, Matthew and Laura reveal their plans for the future, including some “exciting” work opportunities…

What are your plans for the year ahead? What’s next for you both, professionally and personally?

M: “For myself, my whole focus is on my corporate wellness software. That’s been going really well. And then myself and Laura are going to Bordeaux for a family holiday. We haven’t got too many plans after that, it’s just work mode.”

L: “I’m going to start my dance classes again in the next couple of weeks. And then I’ll be doing The Blonde Bombshell, which is touring in May. And then we have our holiday which will be nice.”

“We haven’t actually planned that many trips this year because we want to be a bit more sensible. We went mad with the holidays last year, so now we’re trying to be sensible and adult a bit more! We want to explore Ireland a bit more this year. We’d love to go to Lahinch and learn how to surf, and maybe explore Cork and Kerry a bit more. There’s so many fab places in Ireland.

“I also have a few exciting opportunities in the pipeline that I can’t mention yet. So if they end up working out in the latter half of the summer, we’ll see. And then we’ve to just wait and see if DWTS comes back. So we’ve an exciting few months ahead.”

Ad

Latest Posts

Don't Miss