He is the bad boy star of ITV1 series My Mum, Your Dad who sparked a love triangle by charming two female co-stars.
But Martin Makepeace says that despite being blasted on social media for his ‘game playing’ and branded ‘cocky and arrogant’ by viewers, it hasn’t stopped women nearly half his age wanting to date him off the back of the show.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, the 6ft7 Ibiza-based property millionaire, 53, said he’s enjoying his pantomime villain status, yet admitted many of the harsh accusations levelled against him are totally justified.
Not that it’s putting off potential new suitors.
Asked if he’s received any tempting offers from fans, he joked: ‘How long have you got?
In demand: Martin Makepeace has claimed women half his age want to date him after his appearance on My Mum, Your Dad
Cheeky: Asked if he’s received any tempting offers from fans, he joked: ‘How long have you got?’
‘But seriously, I was at Ocean Beach Club yesterday and a girl came up to me and said ‘I love you on the show, you’re amazing. I’m 27, can I take your number?’
‘I politely declined. I was with my godson who’s 25 and he took her number in the end.’
And on the abuse he’s received for being the show’s villain, he adds: ‘I would have been disappointed if I didn’t get that reaction to be honest.
‘I must be a true narcissist because I’m really enjoying it.’
Martin joined the show, dubbed the middle-aged
Love Island, four days into the process, which he thinks was a deliberate ploy by ITV bosses who knew he would ruffle feathers in the retreat as, by his own admission, he’s a ‘Marmite figure’.
Indeed, he admitted being labelled ‘cocky and arrogant’ is nothing new to him, saying: ‘When you’re 6ft8 you’ve got two choices, fade into insignificance or go all out there, and I chose the second one.
‘I would rather say I’m just overconfident, but I do understand why they would say arrogant.’
He added: ‘I was at Ocean Beach Club yesterday and a girl came up to me and said ‘I love you on the show, you’re amazing. I’m 27, can I take your number?’
He quickly impressed therapist Monique and fellow newcomer Tolullah, both 50, just as the former had started to grow close to co-star Martin H, 56, a viewer favourite.
And he intensified his pursuit of Tolullah after she also started getting feelings for Martin H, which saw them share an unexpected kiss on a romantic date, which many viewers felt ‘bruised his ego.’
Asked if he agrees, Martin said: ‘I wasn’t convinced they were a match because Tolullah was obviously saying things to me.
‘She tried her hardest to get on board with Martin which was why she did it.
‘My ego definitely wasn’t bruised but I was surprised and maybe pushed into a direction that I went in.’
His inability to focus on just one woman sparked some viewers to accuse him of ‘game playing’, as he was caught using the same schmoozing techniques on both Tolullah and Monique.
And when he did end up picking Monique, a riled Tolullah, whom he’d earlier let down during awkward exchange, told viewers she ‘dodged a bullet’ and when leaving the show, made it clear she had no intention of staying in touch with him.
Martin said: ‘Tolullah was an amazing person and when she saw how the show panned out, I think she was quite upset.
Lifestyle: The businessman has lived in Ibiza for 30 years, revealing he applied for a job as a club rep in 1991 and stayed on the island ever since
‘But we had a real connection in there, and I really appreciated her friendship, but unfortunately I had to make a decision and I went with my gut feeling.
‘I did smile when I saw that on Thursday, ‘dodged a bullet’, well done Tolullah, great phrase.’
And on her savage dig about not staying in touch, he added: ‘The edit was very kind to me, it could have been a lot worse.
‘You saw the masterclass in Tolullah letting Martin H down gently, unfortunately I’m the opposite where I’m not very good at things like that.
‘I made a bit of a hash of it and she came back right at me.
‘It was the perfect response, it was a great putdown and almost a pleasure to be on the other side of it. That was not contrived, it was absolutely on the money.’
In the finale, viewers saw Martin and Monique end the relationship before their children had the chance to give them their blessing, believing they had lost their connection.
Monique accused Martin of being ‘distracted’ and making no attempt of getting to know her, points he totally agrees with.
Family: Martin’s son Luke, 18, entered him into the show following the break up of a four-year relationship last November
He explained: ‘The love triangle took so much out of me emotionally and physically.
‘You’re in a really intense environment in there, once I got over the line with Monique I just relaxed a bit and didn’t put any effort in whatsoever so she wasn’t far wrong. I absolutely agree with her.
‘And I can be easily distracted, she was right. I’ve got so many things going on.
‘I lack focus which has been a trait my whole life. It’s not the first time it’s happened.
‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing but what I should have done was settle down early and get to know Monique a bit more. She was on the money.’
But on reflection, did he enjoy being part of a love triangle?
‘When you’ve got two beautiful women wanting you and getting to know you more, it’s not the worst place in the world to be, is it?’
Martin’s son Luke, 18, entered him into the show following the break up of a four-year relationship last November.
He’s previously been with Luke’s mother for over 20 years but it was the end of his most recent romance which hit him hardest.
Martin explained: ‘It’s the first time I’d ever experienced heartbreak which is why Luke put me into the show as he’s never seen me like that before, ever.’
The businessman has lived in Ibiza for 30 years, revealing he applied for a job as a club rep in 1991 and stayed on the island ever since.
He set up a travel agency before moving into property and hugely profited from Ibiza’s property boom over the past decade.
Martin said: ‘When I went into property there was a property boom for three or four years and that’s where I made my money. It was like money for old rope.
‘Back in the day you could get houses for £50,000 to £60,000 which are now worth millions of pounds.
‘The property boom in Ibiza over the last ten years has been simply incredible. The properties I pay decent money for are now worth ridiculous amounts. I’m in the game but I never saw that coming.
‘It means I no longer have to work, I just do a bit of consultancy a few hours a week.’
So what now for reality TV’s latest villain? Will this be the last time we see him on our screens?
‘I’m at an unique stage of my life, I’m 53, I’m single, my youngest kid has just signed a pro football contract, which means he hasn’t got time for me, which is how it should be.
‘Luke is nearly 19 and is going travelling in the winter so now I’m on my own, I’m comfortable, what do I do now?
‘I don’t want to be in a bar all day drinking and talking s***, not that I don’t like doing that, so I’d like to look for future opportunities, maybe do something a bit edgier.
‘I’d definitely like to pursue some sort of reality TV because it’s just the start for me.’
