Rylan Clark shared that fame makes it tricky for him to find love. Rylan became a household name in 2012 after competing on the ninth series of The X Factor. Rylan was mentored by Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and was in the boys category alongside James Arthur, who won the series.
He has since gone on to become a prominent face on our TV screens, presenting Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two as well as regular appearances on daytime show This Morning. He is also renowned for his comical appearances alongside his mum Linda on Celebrity Gogglebox.
The 36-year-old star is hoping to find love again after separating from his husband Dan Neal in 2021. But he says that being in the spotlight makes it more complicated in his search for a partner.
Speaking to Bella magazine, Rylan said: “I find it a lot more difficult because of my job. It can be tricky to know what someone wants from me. But what am I going to do, die alone with cats? I’m allergic to cats! You’ve got to put yourself out there.”
The former X Factor star is back as host of the Paramount+ reality series Dating Naked UK as it returns for a second season and has been surprised by how popular the show is around the world.
Asked how it feels to be back for a second series, Rylan said: “It’s amazing! None of us expected the show to do as well as it did – internationally as well, which was really exciting.
“I landed at Miami Airport on the way back from filming this second series in Panama, and the guy on immigration looked at my passport and went, ‘You’re the naked guy!’ Is that what I’m known as now?”
Rylan explained that contestants on the show frequently forget that they are in the nude. He said: “The amount of times I have to remind them to put on sun cream – no one wants a burnt willy! And sometimes I forget I’m clothed and panic, which is weird as well.”
Rylan now serves as a creative consultant on Dating Naked UK and is enjoying being more involved in the show. The BBC Radio 2 presenter said: “I’m really important now!
“It’s just nice to be a bit more involved in deciding what challenges to throw at them, or whether to hold back and let the unfolding drama speak for itself.”
Rylan says he is unlikely to participate in the show but is open to hosting naked, even if show bosses would rather he didn’t. He said: “I haven’t got a problem with it, but I probably wouldn’t do the show now. If they wanted me to host it naked…I did suggest that actually, but they said no!”
Rylan regularly shares his life away from the screen and shares snaps of his close bond with his mum. The two often go on holiday together, last year he shared photos of them together as they travelled to Marbella.
Rylan and his mum became a hit with fans as they both appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox. They did a grand job of taking on the role of armchair critics as they took viewers into their homes and gave their hilarious verdicts on the latest hit TV shows.
The radio host announced on Instagram last month that his mum had been taken to hospital as he thanked emergency teams. He announced: “Mummy Linda isn’t well sadly, so I won’t be hosting the show tomorrow.
“Thank you to the emergency team at Princess Alexandra Hospital. Especially Tanya, who really looked after my mum.” Rylan added that he would keep fans updated before calling Linda a “trooper”.
He updated his followers in the days after and confirmed that Linda was home in time for her birthday. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Happy Birthday to the best mum. So glad you’re home for it. Love you x.” Hundreds of fans and celebrities took to the comments to send their good wishes.