Suchismita Ghosh
In 9Go’s Australian reality series, ‘Love Island,’ several islanders who couple up as strangers reside in isolation, under constant watch as they fight it out for the coveted cash prize of $50,000. In season 2, 19-year-old Sydney-based lifeguard Cartier Surjan and 24-year-old model and wrestler Matthew Zukowski from Melbourne were two Islanders who had signed up to get a shot at the prize money.
The two initially paired with others, and it was only during the finale week that they found their way to each other, transitioning from being friends into something more. The pair looked promising, and their sparks were visible to their fellow contestants and audiences. It was also what helped them take home the runner-up tag. But all that was a while ago. As quite some time has passed, between the 2019 season and now, fans can’t help but wonder whether Cartier and Matthew’s relationship managed to stand the test of time.
Cartier and Matthew Connected With Each Other Toward the End
At the start of the series, Matthew had forged a strong bond with Vanessa. The couple were considered to be one of the strongest. But they had their fair share of problems, and the cracks of which had slowly begun to grow big. This eventually led to fights, and the couple chose to call things off. Meanwhile, Cartier had clicked briefly with Gerard before moving on to forming a strong connection with Adam, who swept her off her feet in no time. The couple started developing feelings with each other. Just as they had started becoming a formidable pair in the villa, the pressures of expectations began to weigh in on them, causing their promising romance to end.
Meanwhile, Matthew was going through a rut as both the girls he’d liked after Vanessa’s eviction, Jordan and Isabelle, had refused to move him from the friend zone. But when his best friend Eoghan was voted out, the girls began to have second thoughts. Eventually, he chose Isabelle, but the couple parted ways soon after. It was only in the last week that the two original Islanders, Matthew and Cartier, started connecting. Till then, in their run-up to the finals, the pair had had contrasting experiences throughout the show. While he had spent most of his time being single after his first partner Vanessa was voted out, Cartier had a budding romance with Adam for quite a few weeks before the pair called it quits.
Nevertheless, the couple took no time to navigate from being friends to a couple, and it was based on their growing bond that they managed to reach the finals, where they ended up a close second to the winners, Josh and Anna. Despite getting very little time to connect with each other, both Cartier and Matthew ensured they’d make up for lost time. “Me and Cartier from the start said we weren’t going to put any pressure on the relationship. We were just going to go with the flow and see what happens, and obviously, we did that, and it’s worked. So we’re cruising now, and it’s happy days,” a happy Matthew had said.
Cartier and Matthew Have Embarked on Different Paths
Despite a blooming romance, Cartier and Matthew separated two weeks after leaving the villa. In November 2019, the pair on a social media post, announced their split, sharing that they were better off as friends. Mentioning her decision to call off the relationship, Cartier wrote, “Hey guys! I’ve made the decision that Matthew and I are better off staying good friends rather than in a relationship. He’s a beautiful guy no doubt about it! Hope you all can respect my decision and support both of us in finding true love.”
After the split, both Cartier and Matthew have moved on in life and found happiness and love with others. While Matthew dated the ‘Bachelor’ alum Keira Maguire in July 2020, the couple split sometime in early 2021. Then he was reportedly in an on-again-off-again relationship with Genevive, whom he started dating in 2021, and the pair got matching tattoos as well. However, they chose to call it quits in May 2023. In September 2023, he appeared at the premiere of ‘C*A*U*G*H*T’ with YouTuber Tammy Hembrow, a mother of three, marking their relationship debut.
The pair got matching tattoos of love hearts, along with Tammy’s two sisters, during their getaway to Maldives in December 2023. Matthew and Tammy also chose to get engaged during this vacation. Matthew is currently the co-host of ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ podcast with ‘Love Island’ season 2 winner Anna McEvoy. He’s pretty active on social media and often posts fun snaps of himself and Tammy. Cartier also found romance with Jake Simpkin, a rugby player whom she started dating in November 2020 and went public on social media in March 2021. Post her time on the show, the social media influencer has been constantly experimenting with her looks, sharing glimpses of the same with her fans.
Read More: Eden and Erin: Has the Love Island Australia Couple Called it Quits?
