Virgin Island 2026 cast member Ed made his debut on series 2 of the Channel 4 show this week, opening up about the deeply personal reason he signed up – he was born with Poland Syndrome, which has resulted in limb differences affecting his arm and hand.
Ed, 27, admitted he feels anxious about sex, admitting that women might see him as “weird or gross” because of his body. And now, after keeping a relatively low profile in the opening episodes, he’s shared that he has “some regrets” about how he approached the experience.
Virgin Island star Ed on his limb difference – what is Poland Syndrome?
Ed lives with Poland Syndrome, a condition that can cause underdeveloped chest muscles and differences in the hand, such as webbed or shortened fingers.
On the show, he explains he was born without a pectoral muscle and has undergone multiple procedures, including grafts and corrective surgeries, which have left visible scarring.
He also revealed that he hasn’t experienced sex or intimacy before, and much of that comes down to confidence.
“I worry girls will think I’m weird or gross,” he admitted, adding that conversations about sex were never something he had growing up — even within his own family.
That lack of guidance, combined with his insecurities, has left him feeling increasingly isolated. And this ultimately led him to seek help from the show’s expert team.
Biggest challenge of taking part with a disability
Speaking ahead of the show, Ed explained that signing up felt like a rare opportunity to tackle issues he’d struggled with for years.
“It felt like a chance to get real help,” he said.
But that didn’t make it easy.
“The biggest challenge was having no way to avoid difficult situations – emotionally or physically – and having to face them head on,” he explained. “Especially where my disability made things harder.”
‘Regrets’ over holding back
After filming on the sun-soaked series wrapped, Ed admitted he didn’t fully throw himself into the process at the start. And that’s something he now looks back on with mixed feelings.
He told OK!: “There were certain things I didn’t do or I was a bit more reluctant to do. Looking back, I have some regrets that I didn’t throw myself in fully from the start.”
At the time, he felt he was protecting himself by setting boundaries.
“I didn’t want to go too far because it might set me back. I think I made the right decision then. But knowing where I got to by the end, I’d probably tell myself to just do everything.”
His ‘main hurdle’ when it comes to sex
Ed also opened up about the mindset that has held him back the most.
For him, losing his virginity has always been tied to the idea of it happening with “The One” — something that made intimacy feel like a huge, high-pressure moment rather than something that could develop naturally.
He revealed that during his first relationship in 2018, that belief stopped him from taking things further.
But through the show, his perspective has started to shift, helping him see intimacy in a less all-or-nothing way.
‘It wasn’t weird – it was actually really useful’
Despite how some scenes might come across to viewers at home, Ed said the reality of filming felt very different.
“You forget the cameras are there. You forget everyone else is around you and you’re just fully involved.”
And while some of the workshops might look awkward on screen, he insists they didn’t feel that way in the moment. “You realise this isn’t weird — it’s actually really useful,” he said.
Read more: Virgin Island star Joy’s heartbreaking health diagnosis explained
Virgin Island is on Channel 4 Monday and Tuesday at 9pm.
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