Who is Adam Collard? Everything to know about the series 4 hunk as he’s back in Love Island

Everything you need to know about the ex-islander who's returning to the villa.

Adam Collard, pictured here at a press event, is returning to the Love Island villa
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a Love Island first, an ex-islander is returning to the villa for a second chance at finding love. But who is Adam Collard and what's he been doing since he first left the show in series four?

Four years after his first appearance on the show, Adam Collard - also known as the 'bad boy' of series four - is making a return to Love Island. The new addition to the villa was revealed at the end of Sunday's show, as narrator Iain Stirling whispered 'guess who's back' in characteristically dramatic fashion, before ending on a cliff hanger. On that night's Aftersun, host Laura Whitmore was aghast, saying of the surprise announcement "This has never happened before."

The villa has seen plenty of drama in recent days, as the islanders grapple with the fallout from the recent Casa Amor, and now one couple is facing being dumped. The arrival of Adam is sure to add fuel to the fire, so here's everything you need to know about the returning islander, plus who's hoping to make it the the Love Island final the second time around.

Who is Adam Collard from Love Island?

He's from Newcastle

Adam Collard is 26-years-old, born on October 26 ‎1995, and still lives in Newcastle now. Prior to entering Love Island he worked as a personal trainer in Newcastle, saying in his tape at the beginning of the series "I get paid to train girls which isn't exactly a bad thing, spending time with them every hour of the day."

He first joined the Love Island villa four years ago as a shock arrival on day 1 of the series and was on the show for just over a month, before being dumped at the hands of fellow islanders Wes Nelson and Georgia Steel.

See more

He first appeared in series four

Adam first entered the villa back in 2018, when he was 22 years old, alongside the likes of Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George and Winners Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer.

He entered the villa on day one as part of a twist which allowed him to steal one of the girls from another boy, and it's fair to say he continued to cause chaos throughout his time on the island. During his 32 days on the show, Adam coupled up with four different girls.

This year's show hasn't been short of surprises, starting with Liam's shock exit, and it sounds like Adam plans to cause some more drama his second time round in the villa, saying of his return “I’m going to ruffle feathers when I go in.” With several of the girls, Tasha Ghouri, Indiyah Polack and Paige Thorne, in less than stable couples, Adam has a good chance of making his mark in the villa.

What did Adam Collard do in Love Island

As a late arrival on day one, Adam was given 24 hours to decide which girl he wanted to couple up with. He chose Blackpool beauty queen Kendall, but it wasn't long until he moved on to new arrival Rosie, who he shared a kiss with during a game of truth or dare, resulting in Kendall being dumped from the island.

Adam stayed with Rosie until day 20 of the show, when he moved on to another bombshell, Zara McDermott. In a conversation that left many viewers enraged, Adam was seen smirking at Rosie when she confronted him about his interest in Zara.

But it wasn't long before Adam moved on again, after his head was turned by Darylle Sargeant in Casa Amor. However, after the pair were dumped on day 32 of the show, Adam and Zara decided to try and make things work on the outside.

Adam and Zara McDermott dated for eight months

Zara left the villa before Adam, after a public vote landed her in the bottom three girls and her fellow islanders chose for her to leave. Adam was dumped a few days later and the couple reunited back in the UK.

However, things didn't work on the outside and the pair split up in 2019. At the time, Zara wrote on Instagram: "I am heartbroken to announce that Adam and I have parted ways.

"I love him very much and will always have a special place in my heart for him & our time together. I have tried so hard to be the best person I can possibly be and to make it work. Sometimes in life, you just aren’t enough for someone; no matter what you do for them or how much you try to be."

However, not long after the split Zara started dating Made in Chelsea's Sam Thompson, and they're still going strong three years later. In fact, Sam shared a video on his Instagram of Zara's reaction to Adam's return, in which he can be heard saying "Who's this guy? Who's this absolute animal? It's your ex boyfriend, no way!"

Adam Collard posing with ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott at KissFm

(Image credit: Getty)

He's been single since January 2020

While Zara has settled down, Adam is still single. However, he was briefly in a relationship with beauty influencer Sarah Godfrey. In September 2019 the pair went public, with Adam confirming the relationship on Instagram with a picture of a date at the Tomahawk Steakhouse in Newcastle, while Sarah shared a photo of them on holiday in Morocco. However, it didn't last and the couple called it quits in January 2020.

Since then, Adam has been linked to TOWIE's Demi Sims, after he was spotted kissing the reality star in March 2020. However, no relationship was ever confirmed.

Love Island isn't the only reality show he's appeared on

Adam has also made an appearance on Geordie Shore. Although he had previously said he'd turned down the chance to join the show, calling it 'brainless', a video emerged in 2018 that showed him getting close to cast members Holly Hagan and Chloe Ferry.

See more

In 2019, it was rumoured that Adam would be joining the show on a permanent basis, after a source told The Sun "Geordie Shore has undergone some huge changes this year and after they culled off the bigger names and brought in new faces, they've realised they need more star quality. Adam’s got a huge following after Love Island and is the perfect fit for the show."

They also said "Adam was approached about joining and after mulling it over is preparing to sign up."

However, the rumours were never confirmed and Adam didn't appear on the show.

He's a personal trainer

Adam was a personal trainer before he appeared on Love Island and has continued to be in the years since. He's now the founder of Sculpt Fitness, a gym in Newcastle, offering drop-in sessions and online coaching as well as e-books and newsletters. As part of the '60 day sculpt challenge', gym-goers can join an online programme hosted by Adam himself, for £97. 

See more

Adam also has a YouTube channel, where he posts fitness-related content, and a podcast called 'The Lift Laugh Life Podcast', where he talks to guests about about their lives, businesses and fitness.

Video of the Week

Ellie Hutchings
Family News Editor

Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.