Love Island winner Liam Reardon has said “things couldn’t be better” after purchasing a home with his girlfriend Millie Court in Essex.

The couple triumphed on the latest series of the ITV2 dating show and split the £50,000 prize money.

Former brick-layer Reardon, from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, admitted it had been challenging moving to Essex with his partner, who is a fashion buyer’s administrator.

He told the PA news agency: “I have left Wales and I am living in Essex now. It has been pretty tough leaving Wales because all my friends and family are here, and it is the place where I grew up.

“Now I am in Essex it is a big change but it is going very, very well.

“Obviously I am with Millie. We have got a new apartment and things couldn’t be better really.

“We are taking things day by day and growing day by day. It is going well.”

Reardon said his family and friends from Wales had not been able to visit yet because the property had no furniture or beds.

He and Court are currently staying at her house close by.

“Right now it is just a shell,” he said.

“We need to fill it up with all of our life really and get all our furniture inside.

“As soon as we do my family and friends will come stay with us.”

The reality TV personality has partnered with the National Lottery to unveil an installation at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff marking the lottery’s 27th anniversary.

The work is made up of 636 National Lottery balls to represent the 636,000 projects that have been supported over the last 27 years, and is one of four across the UK.

Reardon said he was proud to represent his home nation.

He said: “I love Wales. I am very, very proud to be Welsh and that will never change no matter where I go.

“I have left Wales now and I am living in Essex but I would still love to represent Wales in whatever way I can. So what I am doing now is a privilege.”