Love Island is almost back, and for ten whole weeks we're going to become emotionally attached to a load of hot singletons we've never met. In anticipation for the new series, the first 11 islanders have already been revealed (perhaps most interestingly, Michael Owen's daughter, Gemma{
While many have noted that the line-up does look slightly more diverse than usual this year - and the island will have its first deaf contestant, which is brilliant - it seems the body types are still the same: very thin. Watching the promo video where the islanders are introducing themselves, it's clear to see producers have yet again picked those with absolutely tiny, or ripped, bodies.
The show is so synomous with tiny, slim bodies that in the past, previous islanders have admitted that they lost a lot of weight before going on the show. And some islanders like Molly-Mae have said that they ended up feeling better when they put on weight after leaving the villa. The pressure is that much that last year, Shaughna Phillips - who was on winter Love Island in 2020 - even said that she felt like the show's 'token fat girl' despite losing four stone to be in the villa, and being a size eight.
Ellie Brown, who was on season four, has also previously spoken about the extreme dieting most islanders do before they enter the famous villa. 'One of the biggest myths about Love Island is that we look so toned, tanned and skinny all the time,' she said. 'In reality, I practically starved myself going into the villa — eating nothing but fish and vegetables for months and spending hours sweating away in the gym each day.'
Of course, these crash diets would be less likely to happen if contestants didn't feel pressure to be in shape. We like to think that size does not determine beauty, but only including thin bodies sends a message that you have to be skinny to be deemed hot enough to go on Love Island. If there was body diversity on the show, maybe everyone would be less inclined to lose weight - including those who are watching at home.