The clue is in the name, but most people go on Love Island to look for love. With an impressive number of married couples actually meeting on the show, and plenty of Love Island babies born since the show's revival in 2015, it’s no wonder so many people are determined to meet their match in the villa.
That being said, let's be honest, there are plenty of other reasons people go on the show too – not least the huge boost to their social media profiles and potential opportunities to break into the showbiz industry. While lots of people have found love in the villa, far more have built careers off the back of it instead. As a result, it's becoming harder to distinguish genuine couples from those who just want to stay on the show for as long as possible.
It's hard not to be sceptical, then, about this year’s cohort – who seem more cut throat than ever. Just last night, the resident ‘nice guy’ Sean booted out his best friend Omar so that he could eliminate any competition with the new girl Matilda. His rash willingness to throw his friend under the bus to get ahead seemed to concern Ciaran, who later called Sean out and said he didn’t think it was the moral thing to do.
In the same episode, we also saw Harriet push to vote out Tiffany, who had previously been coupled up with the boy she liked, Ronnie. Within minutes of Tiffany and Omar's departure, Harriet and Ronnie were chatting about their ‘unfinished business’ and deciding whether to give things another go. In this series, it seems like being in a couple – regardless of connection or respect – trumps all.
On the other side of the garden was Jess, another fan of Ronnie's, who saw him and Harriet flirting after she had just admitted that she also had 'unfinished business' with him. Instead of bowing out or appearing vulnerable, she said he probably knows she ‘wouldn’t be treated like a floorboard’ and that must be why he picked Harriet instead of her.
In every confrontation or awkward situation, however big or small, there appears to be a distinct lack of kindness and compassion. The islanders are putting their own best interests first, even at the cost of their close friendships or the overall atmosphere of the villa.
Even Joey Essex, who had been an otherwise calm and rational presence in the villa, ‘lost his head’ with Omar when he found out he had been a bit flirty with his partner Grace. He antagonised him in the hallway and they looked close to having a physical fight, with Joey repeatedly saying Omar was ‘no competition’.
Whether this would have happened anyway, or the competitive and ruthless atmosphere of the villa got to them, is unclear. But it’s a shame to see people who had built a nice friendship get so irate over nothing.
It's still relatively early days in the villa and there aren't any 'exclusive' couples yet. However, it doesn’t take a lot to get this group riled up and for them to start personally insulting one another. Sean and Harriet's ploy to sabotage their 'competition' in Sunday's episode might just be a sign of things to come - particularly with Casa Amor looming.
This type of behaviour might win them a short-term romance, but it certainly won't win them any long-term friends – or the lasting favour of the public.