On Love Island last night, viewers were subjected to one of the driest, most boring dates in history. Now, it is undeniable that both Brad McClelland and Lucinda Strafford are incredibly attractive, but the pair did not have the most riveting conversation. Genuinely, the most interesting bit of conversation was when Lucinda observed that she lived really far south, and Brad lived really far north. (We are going to ignore Brad lying through his teeth and saying it was his first date, when he had been in a relationship for several years.)
To be fair to Lucinda, there wasn't much hope for a lot of date banter. Brad has been criticised throughout his time in the villa for just... failing to make basic conversation, and not asking the women he's interested in any questions at all.
Regardless of his chat skills, up until now, Brad has been incredibly keen on Lucinda - promising that she's the first person he's felt like this about in a while. He has been laying his feelings on thick, factor 50. He's said that he's not a fuckboy and only interested in relationships rather than flings. (Marriage was also mentioned.) So much so, in one episode, Lucinda told Faye that she suspects he might be 'selling her a dream'. Also known as lovebombing, when a potential partner showers you with everything you want to hear in the very early days.
On last night's date, Lucinda asked Brad the age old villa question: whether his head would be turned. While Brad tentatively agreed with Lucinda saying 'never say never', the lovebombing continued. It's no wonder Lucinda said she felt she got 'loyal vibes' from him. He assured her that the attraction was there and that, 'at the minute', he couldn't see his head turning. He told her he wasn't going to hold back and that he might get 'mixed signals' if Lucinda decided to pull away, if she thought he was moving too fast with their relationship. And in one of the flakiest statements ever, we heard that he could '100%' see himself getting attached.
But this very keen approach only lasted until he got back to the villa and reunited with the boys. Because what he told the guys in their post-date brief was quite different. 'Basically, she was asking me, do you think your head could be turned in here,' he told them. 'So I said, the more I'm getting to know you, the more you're just ticking them boxes.' But, crucially, he added: 'So for me, it's like I would never make a promise and say that my head wouldn't turn - but I said right now I couldn't see it. No-one knows what's going to happen in here.'
Despite everything he's told Lucinda to make her think different, it's hardly shocking for viewers that Brad told the lads he's uncertain about the future. His head has been turning repeatedly - as he chirps the same chat-up line to every single girl that there's been nobody in the villa like them - but it contradicted what he'd just been saying moments before. 'No-one knows what's going to happen in here' and 'would never make a promise' is very much code for saying 'I'm interested enough - for now'. It's a way of making sure none of the guys are shocked when his head turns as a shiny new woman walks in, or Casa Amor happens.
The bar is incredibly low. The Love Island villa is proof that some men are hesitant to commit, or make proper effort, just because they think there's going to be better options down the line. But what makes this harmful is when they try to convince you they're interested in something long-term, or as Lucinda says 'sell you the dream', so you stay interested. It means when the inevitable happens, and their head does turn, you're left confused and hurt.
Despite Brad's grafting, viewers see through it and last night, the pair were voted least compatible. In tonight's show either Brad or Lucinda is going to leave the villa - or they could leave together - but his comments don't leave much hope that their romance is going to survive outside the villa's four walls.
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