Love Island star Eoghan Murphy unrecognisable in pre-show pic

He’s the Irish-born hunk who set the hearts aflutter on and off-screen during his stint on Love Island, but it appears that Eoghan Murphy didn’t always cut such a fine figure.

Today, the 24-year-old boasts a six-pack and muscular arms but is wholly unrecognisable in a photo taken just a year and a half ago, before his small-screen debut.

The Gold Coast real estate agent revealed the remarkable lengths he went to in order to transform himself from a self-professed ‘skinny fat guy’ into a reality TV heartthrob in an interview with Men’s Health magazine on Thursday.

From ‘fat’ to fit

Eoghan explained that his impressive physique is the result of a gruelling 18-month training regime that saw him hit the gym six days a week.

He wakes up every morning at 4 am and is in the gym an hour later, working up a sweat with his ‘go-to’ exercises, deadlifts and squats, all with heavy weights, of course.

Despite the intensity of his routine, Eoghan believes that if he can do it, anyone can.

“I went from being a skinny fat guy that no one would look twice at to being on Love Island, [so] anything is possible,” he said.

Eoghan admits he hasn’t always been so disciplined, recalling how he “started to stack on the pounds” at age 20 when he realised his dream of playing professional football was over.

After putting his career first and health second for the next few years, Eoghan found himself at his heaviest at 104kg before deciding to make a change.

“I was just sick of not being happy with how I looked,” he said.

He began his fitness journey in March last year with boxing which saw him drop to 92kg before shifting to his weights-based workouts, yeilding results in two short months.

Reality TV-ready

Hitting the gym wasn’t the only part of Eoghan’s body transformation, with the reality TV star beginning an “extremely strict” diet that only allows for “one cheat meal a month”.

“I don't consume any sugar or salt and only drink water,” he told the magazine.

He ‘bulked up’ over four months by eating carb and fat-heavy meals such as gluten-free pasta, large bowls of oats and four-to-five protein shakes per day.

In the three weeks prior to the show, Eoghan restricted his food intake even further to ensure he was in tip-top condition, which he admits was “tough”.

The results, it seems, speak for themselves.

Eoghan’s dramatic exit

Eoghan stunned viewers by bowing out of Love Island in late October in order to give his best mate and ‘little brother,’ model and wrestler Matt Zukowski, a shot at finding romance.

In a chat with Yahoo Lifestyle, Eoghan revealed that he’d sacrificed himself to ensure his fellow islander had the best chance of falling in love with none other than Jordan, the woman he himself had been pursuing.

While Eoghan admitted he had no qualms if Matt and Jordan coupled up, he was still holding out hope that he and WA hairdresser might reunite after she left the show.

“If she doesn’t find anyone in there over the next two weeks then I’m hoping we could do something on the outside,” he said at the time.

Less than a day after Eoghan’s exit, Jordan was eliminated when Matt - who is currently still on the show - chose another female islander over her although there’s no word on whether the pair have reunited.

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