Fans go wild as Muggy Mike posts 'disrespectful' snap
He's famed for his 'Muggy Mike' persona after his reality appearance on ITV's Love Island.
And Mike Thalassitis, 25, who is set to star on Celebs Go Dating, angered followers with his latest Instagram post while filming scenes for the show in Cape Verde.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, he put on a friendly display as he sat next to a bikini-clad holidaymaker and co-star Tallia Storm.
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'Pulling machine': Mike Thalassitis, 25, sent fans wild on Instagram while filming scenes for Celebs Go Dating as he put on a friendly display with a holidaymaker and co-star Tallia Storm
He captioned the image 'Pulling machine', which left fans incensed as they believed the social media image was posted in mockery of the mystery woman.
Appearing in high spirits, the football star beamed with joy as he placed his arm around the mystery woman as well as the Scottish singer, 19.
Taking to his highly followed account, fans expressed their disappointment with the London native's message behind the image, which was widely seen as sarcastic.
One follower wrote in anger: 'What a nasty person you are.'
Controversial: He's famed for his 'Muggy Mike' persona after his reality appearance on ITV's Love Island
Another shared a similar opinion, as they commented: 'He actually makes me want to vomit in my mouth...such bad taste...and classless.'
Shortly after Mike shared the picture, he changed his caption in light of the overwhelmingly negative response: 'Comments are going mad... This is a picture from a great day filming in Cape Verde. We met this lady and we had a proper laugh. That’s it!'
However, other fans seemed to take the post as a light-hearted gesture, as one stated: 'People are taking this way to seriously!'
'What a nasty person': Taking to his account, fans expressed their disappointment with the London native's message behind the image, which was widely seen as sarcastic
Two sides: Other fans seemed to take the post as a light-hearted gesture, as one stated: 'People are taking this way to seriously
This post comes shortly after the former Margate F.C striker hunky confessed his candid thoughts on Love Island co-star Kem Cetinay.
Claiming that he doesn't see the Essex hairdresser as any kind of competition, he revealed: 'I don’t really like Kem that much. He can’t nick birds. He’s five-foot-nothing.'
Mike admitted that he's not much of a dater, and that going on the E4 reality series is somewhat of a new experience for him - but that he's certainly confident about his ability to woo the ladies.
Bad blood: The former Margate F.C striker mocked 'five-foot-nothing' Love Island rival Kem Cetinay for not being able to 'nick birds'
'I never was a big dater,' he said. 'My life was football, but it’s always revolved around women. The only other thing I was good at was pulling girls.
'After Love Island you think, "do I go back to normal life, or try reality TV?" and I would never have seen this happening, I was so private. I went on Love Island to change my life and so far it has.'
On the ITV2 villa-based reality show, Mike was branded with the nickname Muggy Mike. And he has admitted - as he prepares to appear on Celebs Go Dating - that he wears this moniker with pride, and has no qualms about it whatsoever.
'I am not trying to shake off the Muggy Mike thing. I take the p**s but I am not a bad person. I’m honest and I'm genuine. But I will be living up to my name on this show.'
Confident: Mike admitted that he's not much of a dater, and that going on the E4 reality series is somewhat of a new experience for him
Mike says that he's serious about finding love - having been through a whirlwind few months on romance-based TV shows.
'When I went on Love Island, I thought I was a good guy. I was a bit nervous and reserved. I came out with that name [Muggy Mike] but I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong.
'So - give a f**k what anyone thinks! Any trouble I get in, I never shy away from it.'
Of Celebs Go Dating, Mike thinks it's impossible to compare it to Love Island: 'On Love Island you’re chucked in to the villa, that’s it. You can’t compare the two. I have done dates where I have had to do a lot of talking and a lot of drinking. I try and be funny, I don’t think I am funny.
Celebs Go Dating returns to E4 on Sunday 4th February at 9pm.