Rylan Clark has opened up about a big misconception we all have of him (Picture: Prime Video/Amazon/Amazon Studios)
Rylan Clark has revealed a secret he thinks most people wouldn’t know about him, but is actually a big success when it comes to his dating life.
The X Factor legend, 36, has a beloved fanbase after soaring to fame in 2012, having gone on to win Celebrity Big Brother the following year, served as a Eurovision commentator, and hosted This Morning and Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.
But despite being one of the biggest names in TV, Rylan has revealed fans and friends alike have a huge misconception about him.
In an exclusive chat with Metro, he said: ‘I’d probably say that people think I’m like, really girly. I’m actually really laddy but I don’t tell anyone.’
He laughed: ‘I quite like that, it goes down well on a date, put it that way.’
Although the presenter has been open up about the breakdown of his six-year marriage to Dan Neal, and the mental health struggles he faced afterwards, Rylan revealed he’s not ready to take on a dating show as a contestant, including his own Paramount Plus series Dating Naked UK.
The star is one of the biggest names in telly (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Rylan said: ‘I probably [wouldn’t go on it] as a contestant, I offered to host it naked but they said no.
‘We had the best time with the show, and to get the number one spot on Paramount was the icing on the cake.
‘The contestants were so incredible, and we were so lucky that they were our first cast members. I was just so thrilled that the show was as well received as we wanted it to be, because so much hard work went into it, and it really, really was a great show.’
After bravely opening up about his heartbreak on TV in recent years and other difficult moments in his life, Rylan explained that there’s nothing he would change about the publicity that comes with fame, despite wanting to keep some parts of his life more private as the years go on.
Rylan still wants to keep part himself away from the public (Picture: REX / PA)
He said: ‘I wouldn’t change anything, because I think all of what some people might see as mistakes in my personal life… I wouldn’t be where I am now or act the way that I do or deal with situations the way that I do so, no, I actually wouldn’t change it.
‘I’d do every single thing the same, but if I could go back, I’d say, just be a bit more cautious about this one or that one.’
His desire for privacy as he gets older has come with the realisation that there are parts of himself he wanted to keep separate from the public, who he gives a version of himself to.
When asked if the Rylan that fans know is a persona or the real him, Rylan replied: ‘I think that is the real me. There’s elements of the real me definitely. But I think as time has gone on, I’ve sort of started to realize that I can keep some of me for myself, and whoever I’m with.
‘So, yeah, Rylan at work is Rylan 2.0, it’s a little bit more higher pitch voice… whereas in real life, pretty much wearing grey jogging bottoms, drinking a Peroni… very different.’
Rylan revealed he’s created a ‘Rylan 2.0’ (Picture: Joe Maher/Getty Images)
He added that he ‘100%’ feels pressure to maintain ‘Rylan 2.0’ adding: ‘You know, there are some days where I’m sat here with no tan on and I’m just sitting here normally, like, it’s lovely.
‘But at the end of the day, I sort of made a face and person, in a weird way, and that’s what people expect. So you’ve got to give it to them. If I walk out with no f**king makeup on people will think I’m dead.’
He went on to say explain there are plenty of things he would now never do – including one which soared him to further fame.
When asked if he could see himself returning to Celebrity Big Brother, he told us: ‘It’d be silly if I went back in when I already won it, no one would stand a f**king chance.
‘I’ll leave it to a new batch of celebrities and retain my king status.’
Rylan won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 (Picture: PA)
He went on: ‘There are things that we have been asked to do that I’ve said no to, but I genuinely think if there was a reality show following me and my mum and things like that, it would be very good watching.’
Joking that he and his mum Linda would probably be ‘cancelled’, Rylan continued: ‘Yeah, there’s a million shows I wouldn’t do. I mean, I’ve been asked to do dating shows, and I think I want to just keep my private life private now.
‘I’ve been asked to do sort of challenge-y type shows, and I’m always up for a challenge but there’s certain things I’m [not going to do] unless it’s million pounds.
‘I say no pretty much daily to a lot of things, which people will be surprised at because I’m f**king everywhere.
‘I even got on the plane and my show was playing, I was like, “Oh God”, but yeah, I do say no to a hell of a lot.
‘In fact, it’s probably easier for me to say what I say yes to, because it takes something I really want to do now has to be a yes. So, yeah, I don’t do anything just for the sake of doing it. I’ll do something because I actually want to do it.’
Rylan has become the first ever member of The Cheez-Masons, a secret cheese society created by iconic US snack brand Cheez-It. (Picture: Ben Stevens/PinPep)
Something that he has said yes to comes after his new-found love for Cheez-Its, who he’s know partnering with.
‘It’s been so fun, I’m a big fan of Cheez-It… I was in LA and I loved them, and I was like, why the f**k can’t I get them at home?’ he said, adding that the chilli flavour is his new-found favourite.
Revealing he even stole some from the launch, he went on: ‘I’ve got my mum addicted to them as well, because on the shoot, I stole so much… I kept them in my utility room, and slowly bags are disappearing and I think it’s my mum.’
Rylan Clark has partnered with iconic US snack brand Cheez-It to help celebrate the arrival of Cheez-It Snap’d in the UK.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.