Love Island Australia’s Zac Nunns shifts from TV fame to community fitness initiative

Zac Nunns, the 26-year-old Love Island Australia finalist, has traded the bright lights of reality television for a community-driven health initiative. He helped launch Made to Move with the Merri-Bek Salvation Army, a five-week program designed to bring people together through fitness and well-being.

Participants ranged from individuals grappling with mental health challenges to those recovering from substance use and migrants still learning English. Each week, the sessions followed progressive overload, a method that gradually increased difficulty while remaining inclusive and safe. At the program’s end, every participant earned a certificate of completion. "What united them was a need for connection, and fitness became the tool we used to build that," Nunns said, describing the project as more than just a workout class.

Nunns said the initiative was unlike anything he had done before, but it left a lasting impression. "For me, it was a rewarding opportunity to bring my expertise into an environment I’m not normally part of. It reminded me how powerful fitness can be when it’s about more than just training—when it becomes a vehicle for building relationships and supporting people who might not otherwise have access to that kind of community," he explained. He hopes similar programs will be rolled out nationwide and replicated at Salvation Army and community centers across Australia.

Beyond the collaborative fitness work, Nunns has spoken about his shift away from chasing brand deals and toward messages that align with his beliefs. In a candid interview, he said he wants to avoid promoting products he wouldn’t actually use. "I don’t want to rely on other people’s branding to dictate how I influence people. I want to give a message that aligns with my beliefs and helps people. I posted a couple of ads immediately after the show that didn’t align with who I was, and I felt dirty afterwards," he told Daily Mail.

He’s since turned his attention to sharing practical health and fitness insights with fans, including tips on increasing incidental exercise, ensuring adequate protein intake in meals, and maintaining hydration and sleep. He has urged followers to take stairs instead of escalators, to aim for 2–3 resistance-training sessions weekly, and to plan meals in advance. "If you’re not sure how to structure these changes, a personal trainer can help you set realistic goals and keep you accountable," he adds.

The conversation comes as Nunns also opened up about his relationship with Love Island co-star Lucinda Strafford during a recent episode of The Trent and Zac Show. He revealed their breakup followed discoveries that Strafford had been communicating with another man during their time together, a personal moment he discussed publicly as part of his broader pivot away from the show’s nitty-gritty spotlight. Daily Mail noted the remarks in coverage of his broader career shift.

Nunns’ Made to Move initiative marks a tangible step in his post-reality-TV path: using fitness as a bridge to community and accessibility. He emphasizes that his goal is not simply to instruct but to foster connection, confidence, and belonging for participants who may not otherwise access structured wellness programs. As he continues to expand his work, he remains focused on translating the lessons learned on screen into community impact, with a broader aim of national rollout and replication in other Salvation Army and community center settings across Australia.