Shakira Khan has revealed where she stands now with her partner.
The reality star catapulted to fame this summer, when she appeared on this year’s series of Love Island. Shakira subsequently finished the show as a runner-up with her partner, Harry Cooksley.
Now, one month on from the final, Shakira has opened up about her time in the villa.
Speaking on Paul C Brunson’s We Need to Talk podcast, the 22-year-old recalled the moment that Harry told her he was interested in her.
“That took me aback. That was our first conversation. Obviously, we didn’t know each other but he was like, ‘Aesthetically, you’re exactly what I’d go for’, and I was like, ‘I did not think I’d be your type at all,’” Shakira teased.
“I didn’t [believe it], because I thought, ‘Maybe he’s telling me what I want to hear, maybe he’s saying the same thing to all the other girls,’ until he told me what his ex looked like, and she’s half-Pakistani!” she exclaimed.
Shakira then reflected on her mother’s changed opinion of Harry, following their awkward first meeting in the villa.
“She said, ‘Clean slate.’ Coming off [the show], you have conversations. You explain everything else to them, how it works, what they’ve not seen, and then my mum again, from the segments she’s seen, starts to see the bigger picture,” she explained.
“Once we had a discussion about it, she said, ‘If you’re happy, I’m happy. Fresh start.’ When she’s ready, they can start to build that relationship. For me, that doesn’t need to happen now,” she admitted.
Shakira was later asked how she would define her romance with Harry.
“We’re dating each other. You can’t put a label on it, but we’re dating each other. We’re spending time with each other. I’m not dating anyone else, he’s not dating anyone else, so you could say we’re ‘exclusively dating each other,’” she laughed.
When asked if she could see herself marrying Harry, she nodded: “I wouldn’t date someone if I didn’t see that intention with them. It’s a waste of my time, it’s a waste of their time. I wouldn’t want someone to be my boyfriend or my partner if I didn’t see something long-term with them.”
Shakira concluded: “I don’t need anyone. I’m very self-sufficient. I don’t depend on anyone. If I’m investing time in you, it’s because I’m investing in a future with you."
