Once again, Love Island has taken over our summer.
We’re only a few weeks into the new season, and there’s already been countless conversations about recoupling, getting mugged off, and not putting all of your eggs in one basket.
And, you know, the standard kind of drama: breakups, makeups and plenty of challenges.
But, despite the fact that it seems like the villa is filmed 24/7, not everything is actually caught on camera.
Here are some of the behind-the-scene tidbits former Islanders have revealed.
The producers actually talk to the Islanders
Especially when there’s big drama going down.
According to Chloe Crowhurst, who appeared on the 2017 season, producers occasional step in to talk to the contestants to make sure that everyone can have their say – and that viewers can hear all the drama.
She told Buzzfeed:
“They give you guidance if something big is going on.
“For example, when we’re voting people out and they don’t want everyone talking over each other, they’ll put couples in their own rooms to talk privately.”
The housemates aren’t allowed too much alcohol
It can seem like there is a party in the villa every other day, but producers are said to be making sure that contestants go too over the top with alcohol.
Kady McDermott told Cosmopolitan:
“At night time, we weren’t allowed a lot of alcohol.
“During the first four or five days when we didn’t know each other we had alcohol to break the ice, but then, after that, it was two glasses of wine a night. And we were sure it was watered down as well.”
The Islanders have to do their own hair and makeup
It can sometimes look like the Islanders are just back from the salon – but, according to 2016 runner-up Olivia Buckland, that’s all down to themselves.
She told The Sun:
“You do your own make-up and I think we had our hair done once for the final.
“So the whole six weeks, all the boys were going mad because they couldn’t have their trims.
“They were getting really annoyed by it.”
The contestants don’t actually have to cook
The Islanders are often seen outside in their lovely looking kitchen – but breakfast is the only meal that they have to actually cook.
Kady McDermott, of the 2016 series, told The Sun that the rest of their meals were provided by a caterer – and it sounds like they got some delicious dishes.
She added:
“They used to give us a dessert after every lunch and every dinner, and the cake was unreal – and we could request food if we wanted.”
There’s a secret (and re-filling) cupboard
How Harry Potter-esque.
2016 Islander Olivia Buckland said that there is a secret re-flling cupboard where food (as well as other essential items) that the contestants request is left for them.
She told Heat:
“We had a secret little closet-wardrobe door thing and if we requested alcohol or cigarettes they turned up in the magic cupboard.
“It used to unlock and we used to wait to hear it unlock and run towards it and any cigarettes, alcohol, or like moisturiser we requested would just immediately turn up in there.”
The producers get super creative while searching for Islanders
Tens of thousands of people applied for the fourth season of the ITV2 dating series – but it turns out that producers may also be looking elsewhere for possible Islanders.
Some of the previous Islanders have admitted that they were approached on social media, nightclubs and bodybuilding exhibitions. They even went on Tinder in the search for Islanders this year.
Camila, Montana and Harley from last year were all approached by producers – and Mon was asked twice.
She told DigitalSpy:
“I got approached in a club, which was quite weird because I wasn’t expecting [ITV] to be in there!
“After I turned them down, we kept in touch and this year they asked me back and I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to do it!'”
Here’s who is sending THOSE texts
“I’VE GOT A TEXXXXXXXT.”
It’s one of the most recognisable phrases for any Love Island fan – but we’ve always wondered, who is the one sending out those texts?
And really, who is doing up those hashtags?
According to Metro, it is actually the producers who are sending out the messages that mess with the Islanders’ time in the villa – and their hearts.
