Winter Love Island is back on our screens - and as it turns out, so are some cookie cutter versions of some previous islanders. Viewers couldn't help but notice that a lot of this year's contestants are looking quite similar to some previous season's islanders - leading viewers to think they've cracked the Love Island casting formula.
From a goldmine of memes to conversations about feet, the ITV dating show never fails to turn up some great talking points every year. And perhaps it's no surprise, as one TikTok user got to uncovering some Islander family trees.
User @ieucooke took to TikTok to point out some striking similarities between certain islanders - both in the way they look, and the roles they play.
And upon doing some digging, those recycled islanders go a long way back...
The Nice Guy
Alas, the nice guy. Forever destined to be friendzoned and offer some awkward sexy dancing, Love Island loves to throw in your one guy who sticks out like a sore thumb. Often lacking the suave and smoothness of a DM slide, viewers will be forced to watch more than one heartbreaking rejection whilst we root for just one person to come in and swoop them off their feet.
This season’s nice guy comes in the form of Farmer Will Young – or as fans have dubbed him, Younger Macdonald. Already coming face to face with more than one friendzone from the girls, Will joins a long line of nice guys. Before he was a farmer, he was a PE teacher in the form of Hugo Hammond, a doctor in the form of Dr Alex George, a dancer in the form of Curtis Pritchard, and how could we forget to include Charlie Radnedge and his heart rate dance that is burned into our minds for all the wrong reasons.
Causing Chaos
What Ieuan describes as the 'brunettes causing nothing but chaos and going for every man that she wants,' Megan Barton Hanson proves that blondes can stir up some drama in those villa walls too.
Although early days, it looks like Olivia Hawkins is ready to take the reigns as this season's chaos causer. Already pulling multiple men and making the most of her Islander experience, Olivia has made no secret that she’s a fiery gal looking for a good time.
And fiery gal’s looking for a good time seems to be a recurring theme in the casting crew’s head. Before Olivia, we had Ekin-Su, Coco Lodge, Megan Barton Hanson, and the OG queen of causing total chaos – Maura Higgins. We’re talking crawling across balconies, stealing men, and shocking us all with some last min recouplings.
Welsh Brunettes
Love Island loves the Welsh – particularly if they’re Brunette and, as TikTok user Ieuan notes, wears a nomination bracelet.
This season we have the ever-so-sweet Anna May Robey, who comes from a long line of Welsh brunettes. Despite the fact Anna May insists she’s nothing like her fellow Welsh gal, fans noticed she bears a striking resemblance to last year’s ‘hunnybun’ Paige Thorne. And before Paige came Rosie Williams (who just so happened to couple up with Adam Collard too. Looks like he has a type.)
And the OG welsh brunette who kicked off the whole line was Amber Davies – who appeared on season three. Considering she won it alongside Kem Cetinay, it’s no wonder the producers wanted to keep a good thing going.
Destiny's Chaaaldish
Although the one club that no one wants to be a part of, somehow viewers find Destiny’s Chaldish growing bigger each and every year.
No doubt the casting crew can tell a mile off which hot islanders will cause some drama in the villa. Fans are already thinking contestant Kai Fagan could find himself an unwilling member after juggling three girls on the first day.
One Twitter user wrote, 'They know that Kai is the Destiny's Childish kinda drama! They all want him!'
And if Kai does end up joining the villa's most exclusive club, he'd be surrounded by season four (and eight’s) Adam Collard, Josh Denzel, Toby Aromolaran, Jordan Hames and Danny Williams to name a few - all headed by the original founder, season five’s Michael Griffiths.
The Sweet Blonde
Described on the TikTok as the 'self-professed ditsy blonde who's here for a good time' - and frankly, it's a trope the fans are spotting from a mile off.
This year we’ve got the lovely Lana Jenkins (who looks suspiciously like last year’s Lillie Haynes) taking the place of Love Island angel Tasha Ghouri (who served us some major looks). Also included is Hayley Hughes (who just so happened to mix up her continents and countries) Lucinda Stafford (who cracked everyone up with her very long vowels), and Liberty Poole (who admitted to being ‘ditsy’ before heading into the show.)
The Storm Chaser
When Tanyel Revan strutted onto our screens, viewers immediately recognised her as a reboot from season's past - nicknaming her Ekin 2.0. In fact, one reddit user noted how similar Tanyel looked to previous islanders such as Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Anna Vakili, and Elma Pazar. Places alongside each other, these women could all pass as sisters - and maybe even long lost cousins of the Kardashians.
If one things for sure, you know these glamorous ladies all have incredible makeup skills and Instagram feeds that put us all to shame.
Famous Ties
Love Island sure does love a famous tie – be it parent, sibling or long lost cousin. We can’t blame them, as we’re sure it rakes in some views.
Arguably trying to fit into this famous family tree is this year's Kai Fagan, who’s already shown his Corrie actor cousin and Marcus Rashford links - but more fitting for this season is footballer Tom Clare. The semi-professional footballer’s been granted permission from his club to leave mid-way through the 2022-23 season – being dubbed 'Mr Love Island' by his teammates.
And we wouldn’t be surprised to see some more famous ties enter the South Africa villa over the next few weeks, considering just how many we were treated to last season. In fact, it might just have become nepotism island after welcoming some famous babies in the form of Gemma Owen, Antigoni Buxton, and Jack Keating (who bizarrely seemed to vanish from Casa Amor.)
Although far too many to list all at once, previous years have seen Tommy Fury, Rochelle Humes’s sister Sophie Piper, and Blazing Squad themselves with Marcel Somerville.
But the OG of famous family ties is the one and only Dani Dyer. When your dad’s as big of an icon as Danny Dyer, it just makes sense.
The Holy Trinity Careers Hub
It's hard to deny that Love Island loves a cookie cutter copy – but when it comes to jobs, there’s a select few professions that every villa needs. Enter the holy trinity of real estate, airports, and science labs.
If you need your property developed, you can turn to this season’s Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown, alongside previous islander’s Andrew Le Page and Faye Winter. If you’re after a smart and sexy science brain, this season’s Tanya Manhenga is a biomedical science student – who just so happens to join the extremely glam scientist squad of microbiologist Dami Hope and biochemist Yewande Biala. And whilst we’re usually treated to an air hostess in the form of Amy Hart and Laura Anderson, this year we’re getting some travel vibes in the form of airport security officer Shaq Muhammad.
Who said you can’t have brains and beauty!