Apprentice star Lottie Lion reveals she had three-month gay fling with Love Islander
APPRENTICE star Lottie Lion today comes out as bisexual and says she had a three month fling with a Love Island star.
The 22-year-old told The Sun: “I’m proud of who I am”.
But she was turned down by Love Island bisexual Megan Barton Hanson, 27, after she plucked up courage to ask her on a date.
Lottie said: “I have asked Megan on a date. We have exchanged messages. She is openly bisexual. I asked her out but she had a boyfriend at the time.
“But there was another girl who I went on a few dates with. She was on Love Island too and high profile, but is not openly bisexual. Everyone thinks she’s straight.”
Lottie’s lover has not come out so The Sun is not naming her. But Lottie said: “I’d encourage her to come out too. The reason we broke it off was due to our concerns about being found out. We really liked each other.”
Lottie — fired by Lord Sugar in 2019 — said: “To be open about something quite taboo within my social circle is hard. I’ve been in the closet since I was 18. Four years is enough. I want to be open.”
She has dated four women and five men but has not told her family about her sexuality.
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'My parents wouldn’t understand'
She said: “My parents wouldn’t understand. A close family member tried to come out as bisexual and they were horrified. So that terrified me. I thought I had to stay quiet and say nothing.”
Lottie thought about coming out when a former girlfriend tried to sell a story on her to a rival paper.
She said: “I just thought ‘do you know what, I want to get there first so it’s on my terms’.”
Lottie — about to start studying law at uni — first realised she was “different” when she watched The Hunger Games and fancied Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.
She said: “I just thought Jennifer was gorgeous. I kind of knew then. I was a bit ashamed. I didn’t understand it.”
Her first relationship with a woman was at 19 but “ended abruptly” when her lover wanted to meet Lottie’s parents. Lottie said: “Talking about my bisexuality is like ripping a plaster off. I don’t want to hide things anymore. There is less public knowledge on bisexuality than other sexualities.
Talking about my bisexuality is like ripping a plaster off.
Lottie Lion
"People think you’re straight or a lesbian. But it’s not the case.”
She has bought herself a house in Bristol and is dating a 30-year-old software engineer called Tom from Wales, who has encouraged her to embrace her sexuality.
Lottie said: “I hope my story might empower others.”
