Conor Howard may have seemed like a bull in a china shop during his short stint on Love Island Australia 2022; however, after filming wrapped, he battled with his mental health.
ICYMI: The 26-year-old raised some serious red flags after telling Stella Hutcheon he only liked her after she straightened her hair and then, basically, the entire time he was coupled up with Jessica Losurdo.
While he was blasted for making some less-than-savoury comments towards the bank worker, Conor admitted that there were some things he could have done differently.
“There were obviously a few things that I said towards the start of my stay there, which I probably regretted,” he told So Dramatic! during an interview after his exit.
“I wish I had my time over again, but it is what it is. Lesson learned. That’s how I live my life anyway.”
After leaving Spain, Conor struggled to maintain a sense of normalcy, battling with his mind to understand why he had done the things he had done.
“It took a very big toll on me for about a month after,” he said. “It was kind of an intense thing to have to do, and with what I do for work as well, it takes a lot of time to prepare myself to get back into that lifestyle.
“I don’t make it sound as bad as it was. I just felt like I didn’t put myself out there in a way that I should have.”
When back home, Conor “overthought” his actions leading him to break down.
“I didn’t do what I wanted to do,” he said before admitting that he had a lot of “support” from friends, family, and people who “love” him.
While at first, he beat himself up, now doesn’t regret going on Love Island Australia.
“I don’t regret going on it. Just a couple of things that I did.”
Conor Howard Admits He Came Off “Arrogant” on Love Island Australia 2022
After some self-reflection, Conor admitted that he came off as “arrogant” on the show.
“I am obviously a little bit more caring and, in certain ways, a little bit different,” he said of his portrayal.
“Not as arrogant. I definitely come off very arrogant. I am a very confident person, and there’s a big difference between confidence and arrogance, and arrogance was the way it came out.”
During the first few episodes that aired, fans quickly judged the realtor, which he felt was “unfair”.
“If people want to look at a reality TV show and judge me from that, I don’t care what they think about, to be honest. People who know me well realise that that’s not the person I am.”
During November 14’s “double dumping”, Conor was ousted alongside Holly Oakes-Ferguson, who saw a much softer side to him.
While in “some instances”, she wouldn’t have coupled up with him after seeing what transpired on the show, she understood where he was coming from.
“A lot of the things I saw [on the show] were red flags,” Holly said in an interview with So Dramatic! after her exit. “But based on the person of Conor, we actually did have a very good connection in there and a very good friendship.”
“I did see the softer side of him; as much as he portrays this big macho man, he is actually quite a massive softy on the inside.
“I think he’s just got a lot of damage that he needs to work out, and that’s his own thing to work out. And I just don’t think the show was the best place to work it out.”
Love Island Australia 2022’s Conor Howard had a “Personality Clash” with Jessica Losourdo
While Conor admitted that he “regretted” some of his actions towards Jessica, he also said there was a lot that we didn’t get to see.
“First of all, it’s TV. I think there were a lot of parts that didn’t show my true character of myself,” Conor said.
“I was obviously with a very, very tough person in Jessica, and a lot of the stuff that I had to deal with in there was less than great. So I think it tested my character and mentally.”
And, as we saw in episode one, Conor failed to choose Jessica before they were coupled together by default.
“We started off on a bad foot. From there, there were definitely some things that I said and could’ve done in a different way, but I did what I did, and I said what I said.”
The reality star also admitted that he and Jessica had a personality clash in that he “jokes around a lot”, and Jessica was much more “serious”.
“She was apparently looking for something very, very serious, which I was open to, but realistically, you know people [in the villa] for one to two days, and I think she was a little bit more into it than I was at the start,” he said, before later adding he was “walking on eggshells” for two weeks.
Another blow for Conor came when people inside the villa took Jessica’s “side”.
“I even lost my confidence in there because people were taking her side,” he said, which added to his mental health issues.
Conor Howard Refutes Claudia Bonifazio’s Claims He Is a “Misogynist”
Then, during the November 14 roast challenge, Claudia Bonifazio called out Conor for being “misogynistic” and the “least real person in this villa”; however, the Maroubra local believes he was the most “real” person there.
“She [Jessica] was just looking left, right and centre, looking for attention,” he said. “Pushing me away even though I’m being very nice to her the whole time.
“So call me misogynistic but misogynistic people wouldn’t care. They’d be going to other people and having conversations and trying to get with other people.
“I wasn’t. I stuck by her while she was doing that to me.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
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