Golden couple Anna McEvoy and Josh Packham are the official winners of Love Island Australia 2019!
The model and mortgage broker chose love over money and walked away from the Villa splitting the $50,000 prize money after Josh chose to share it with his new lady love.
While others re-coupled like there was no tomorrow (looking at you Matthew), Anna and Josh went from strength to strength in their relationship, even becoming official boyfriend and girlfriend in their final week.
And while the couple are smitten kittens, the pair had some choice words for last year’s unsuccessful winners, Grant Crapp and Tayla Damir!
We caught up with the lovebirds to congratulate them, find out how they’re going to spend their winnings and see what they think of following in Grant and Tayla’s footsteps.
Now To Love: Congratulations you two! Has it sunk in now everything is done and dusted?
Anna: No, I feel like I’m in a dream and someone’s about to burst the bubble like none of it happened. It’s honestly so surreal.
Josh: I think we’re both feeling very overwhelmed. Obviously we had no idea about the public’s perceptions or who were the favourites but it hasn’t sunk in yet. I think for both of us, it’ll sink in once we get home, see family and friends and start unwinding.
Anna: And get our phones back!
“I feel like I’m in a dream and someone’s about to burst the bubble like none of it happened.”
(Image: Nine Network)For sure, you two haven’t even had a chance to stalk each other on Instagram!
Anna: That’s what we were saying. We don’t even have each other’s phone numbers, we’ve never sent each other a text, we don’t have each other on Instagram. We’ve done it so backwards to any normal relationship.
How excited are you to come back to the real world and leave the Villa behind?
Josh: We’ve been looking forward to leaving the Villa for probably just over a week now. We’ve maximised what we can get out of the Villa together. Obviously this last week we did progress quite substantially and now we’re 100 per cent ready to get out and just start getting on with life together on the outside. There are a lot of things we want to do and we can’t wait to start knocking that down.
“We’re 100 per cent ready to get out and just start getting on with life together on the outside.”
(Image: Nine Network)Will there be anything about the Villa that you’re going to miss?
Anna: Everyone just became such a family, we loved everyone in there and it was so nice. We felt like we were at one big sleepover party with everyone in the room together, it was so much fun.
Josh: For me, I think it’s definitely the night time chats. You can imagine with 14 people in a bedroom, especially when Gerard, Luke and Adam were around it was just chaotic in there, always in stitches and always cracking up at night time so I’ll definitely miss that. I call it ‘being a meerkat’ because you always put your head up and have a look at what’s going on in everyone’s bed, it was always interesting. Me and Anna were the worst, always looking around!
When you have 14 people sharing a bedroom, you can bet there will be some good times!
(Image: Nine Network)Did you have fun during all those outrageous challenges?
Anna: They really pushed us out of our comfort zones!
Josh: There were always socks in for the boys with some of those outfits, that’s for sure! Everyone’s a little bit scared of their bulge on TV. Matt always went a little bit too far, the bloke always puts three socks down there. At least make it believable!
“There were always socks in for the boys with some of those outfits, that’s for sure!”
(Image: Nine Network)How does it feel coming off the back of Grant and Tayla’s win last year after it was revealed Grant had a secret girlfriend the whole time?
Josh: It’s obviously time to make a change for the winners of Love Island. I think they lasted one week, we’re obviously planning to go a lot longer than that! We definitely think the public got it right this time and we’re going to prove that.
Anna: It’s weird for you to say that because we have no idea what’s been going on. Obviously, Josh and I really didn’t think we had any chance of winning because we weren’t in the original cast and normally the winners are an original cast member. So when our names were called out we were like ‘Oh my god! What’s happened?’
Josh: Yeah we were pretty sure that Matt and Cartier were going to take it out because they were both originals and people probably followed their journey a bit deeper than ours so when our names were called out we were pretty shocked.
“We definitely think the public got it right this time and we’re going to prove that.”
(Images: Nine Network)When Adam and Cartier were together, it was between them and you two when it came to the top couple. Did you think they would last?
Anna: I thought they were going to last. I thought Adam and Cartier were really cute but then I guess there was point where something changed. It broke my heart because Cartier is like my best friend in the Villa and I wanted to be there 100 per cent to support her. It was a bit of a shock, I’m not going to lie.
It’s so full on in there because you have endless amounts of time to go over everything. Cartier is so strong and so mature for 19 but she was absolutely devastated so my heart just broke for her.
Josh: I think they both gave it their best crack, obviously it’s difficult when they’re polar opposites and it was the perfect story. I just don’t think it was the right time for them, I still hope that perhaps in the future something happens but you never know.
Anna and Josh were both shocked when Adam and Cartier called it quits.
(Image: Nine Network)Back to you guys, when you officially became boyfriend and girlfriend you had a very romantic “proposal” situation. Is that the most romantic thing either of you have been a part of?
Josh: Definitely for me. I’ve never been much of a romantic but I did want to step my game up for Anna. I asked my past two girlfriends over pillow talk! But it went down perfectly and I couldn’t think of a better way to ask Anna out so I think I’ve set the bar high now.
Anna: I feel like I’m never caught off-guard and I did not expect it coming. I feel like no one can ever surprise me and Josh totally surprised me and then when I saw the flower petals everywhere and the little love heart, it was the cutest thing ever. Josh was saying he got all the boys together to make it happen and I can’t wait to watch it back.
Watch Josh ask Anna to be his girlfriend in the player below. Post continues after video…
You’re based in Sydney Josh but you were talking about moving to Melbourne to be with Anna. Is that still something you’re considering?
Josh: Yeah definitely keen to move interstate. I’ve lived in Sydney my whole life and you can definitely get stuck on the Northern Beaches. But for me, if I was to move and Anna agrees, we both want to have a fresh start together so we were thinking the Gold Coast would be perfect for us. A new change, we don’t know that many people up there and it’ll be new for us both.
So will some of that prize money go towards a love nest on the Gold Coast?
Anna: I’d say so!
Josh: Yeah definitely. I think what we’re looking at now is organising a holiday and I think I have to give a little bit of cash to Lukey. I’d feel mean if I didn’t and he’s my twin brother so I have to give him a little bit. We won’t spoil him, just a little bit to keep him happy and off my back! But he’d do it for me and we’ve always shared everything.
Josh says he’s going to give some of the prize money to his twin brother, Luke.
(Image: Nine Network)So is the next step meeting each other’s families and friends?
Anna: Well we Skype called our parents in the Villa. I met Josh’s parents and he met mine but I’m excited to hang out with them in person and be normal.
Josh: We both come from very down-to-earth, nice families so I know Anna would definitely fit in with my family and I’m hoping it’s the same for me and Anna’s family. They were both very supportive when we called them and seemed to like us both so looking forward to it.
“I know Anna would definitely fit in with my family and I’m hoping it’s the same for me and Anna’s family.”
(Image: Nine Network)Do you reckon the other couples (Cartier and Matt and Cynthia and Aaron) will last on the outside too?
Anna: Yeah, we absolutely love all of them. We’ve shared the journey with them and we want them to succeed so our fingers and toes are crossed for both of them. We’d love to see them work out and we’re rooting for them.
Josh: I mean it’s still early days for Matt and Cartier so obviously they have a few challenges ahead of them because at the beginning they didn’t spend much time together. I’m hoping that works out for them but whatever happens, just wish them both the best moving forward.
“We’ve shared the journey with them and we want them to succeed so our fingers and toes are crossed for both of them.”
(Image: Nine Network)Josh, you said that you didn’t think Aaron was on the show for the right reasons. What made you think that?
Josh: Aaron’s obviously been on a dating show beforehand. I really like Aaron as a person, I just felt that when I was observing everyone else, everyone was moving in an emotional way and I found Aaron quite controlled throughout. There were a few of us who noticed it, maybe that’s just because of his military background and that’s the way he is but it wasn’t just me that spotted that.
At the end of the day I don’t want Cynthia to get hurt because she’s really falling for him, I can see that. I grew very close to her in the Villa, she’s kind of like a little sister to me and I feel like I have to protect her as well. I’ve been observing him and have a few doubts, that’s all.
WATCH: Love Island‘s Aaron on The Proposal. Post continues after video…
So now the show is over, what’s next for you guys?
Josh: We really don’t want to be apart from one another for more than two or three days. We’ll definitely fly into Melbourne or Sydney and then start planning our holiday as soon as possible. We really just want to get away for two weeks, just me and Anna, away from the public eye and just enjoy each other’s company.
Anna: It’s been so great and we’ve loved every second of being in the Villa but I think Josh and I are just ready to have no cameras on us and not be around people and just hang out together. I think that’s why we were like we need to go on a holiday to Bali or Thailand, just the two of us. As soon as we get Internet, we’ll be looking at flights but we’re still under lock down and haven’t had a chance to look at the Internet or contact our families yet.
