Virgin Island star Bertie explains why he's uncomfortable with intimacy

A 24-year-old man has explained why he's still a virgin and revealed that it comes down to more than just doing the deed itself that makes him uncomfortable.

Bertie, from Taunton, UK, is one of the new contestants to star in the latest season of Virgin Island, which starts tonight (April 27) on Channel 4.

In anticipation for the show airing tonight, Bertie was a guest on British breakfast show This Morning alongside his fellow cast mate Joy, 22, who is also a virgin.

Chatting with hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, Bertie explained why he describes himself as a 'grade-A virgin' – as seen in the trailer for season two.

"It's not just the intimacy part of relationships that I feel uncomfortable with and feel like I don't know what I'm doing in that," he said. "It's not just about sex. It's about what comes before that for me as well."

Bertie went on: "I feel not knowledgable on how to approach women and talk to them because I feel that I'll come across awkward, how to make the first move, even the dating part because I've never been on a date before. I've just got absolutely no experience in it."

He added that struggles with the way he looked was another 'mental block' for him.

Bertie's costar Joy then joined the discussion and explained what it was like for her growing up in a religious household and how that's affected her views on intimacy.

Joy explained: "Growing up as a Christian, there's a certain purity culture messaging that you can internalize, and for me that sort of looked like, you know, you shouldn't have sex before marriage, if you do anything that's a sin, and the messaging felt really strong."

Bertie features in the new season of Virgin Island (ITV)

Last year's season featured Ben, who was still a virgin at the age of 31.

In an article he penned for The Times, Ben said he believed that him still being a virgin at that age stemmed from him being bullied at school.

"The vast majority of the bullying I suffered was at the hands of other boys, but it nonetheless instilled within me this belief that despite my decent intellect, I was physically repulsive to women especially, and that no sane girl could possibly find me attractive," Ben wrote.

He further shared that he didn't start dating until he was in his 20s and, despite having two relationships, he still hadn't managed to be intimate with anyone.

Virgin Island starts tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.