Up until last night, Tom Clare was the talk of the Love Island villa. From having a secret smooch with Ellie Spence, to calling time on a budding romance with Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown (which preceded her dumping), the Barnsley-born footballer appeared to have no qualms about leaving drama in his wake.
But during Thursday night's episode, the 23 year old's screen time was slashed so drastically that fans joked it was like he had left the villa with Zara.
'Tom is in hiding, he hasn't been seen all episode,' one amused viewer wrote.
Another clocked his absence, writing, 'Hold on, has Tom just mysteriously disappeared?'
'Tom faded into a background character so quick!' a third joked.
Producers may have prioritised other developments last night, but Tom hasn't physically left the villa. He was involved in the kissing challenge - one which ultimately led to tension between favourites Shaq Muhammad and Tanya Manhenga after she was voted the best kisser - and was spotted applying some lip balm. While we would've loved to joke it was in preparation for another secret kiss, he took a notable step back from the grafting last night.
Tom had come under fire in recent episodes after appearing to string on Ellie, Zara and Olivia Hawkins, who has now turned her eye to Kai Fagan. At the peak of the drama, Zara said in a heated exchange that Tom's family would be 'ashamed' of his treatment of women. Seeing red, Tom stormed off and threw his jacket in anger.
But earlier this week, his sister Laura - an influencer with 16k followers - rushed to support him. On Instagram, she shared of photo of her, Tom and their parents, writing, 'We are always more than proud of you'.
On his arrival at the villa, Laura shared a selfie of the siblings, showcasing their tight bond.
She penned, 'My baby bro ❤️ still feels crazy watching you on the telly! Excited for the world to see what a talented, charming, kind young man you are. Always proud to be your sister, let’s go.'
A comment backing up Tom read, 'He saw where he went wrong and apologised. That must not be forgotten!'