So Apparently The Love Island Villa Is Plagued With Flying Cockroaches

So romantic

Love Island

by Georgia Aspinall |
Updated on

Spending your summer in the Love Island villa seems idyllic. Eight all-inclusive weeks of luxury surrounded by beautiful people you could make lifelong relationships with could be a dream scenario. Yes, the cameras watching you, ensuing fame and onslaught of online trolling might put you off a bit – but ultimately, the two months themselves doing nothing but socialising and sunbathing sound sublime. Alas, the Love Island villa is not as luxe as it seems…because it’s being plagued by flying cockroaches.

According to (spoilers ahead) former Islander Elma Pazar, the pests leave contestants running and screaming all day long. ‘The flying cockroaches are a nightmare. They fly around when we are trying to relax,’ she told The Sun, ‘some of the girls are screaming every time they come near.’

Elma left the villa during Tuesday night’s episode after a shock dumping saw two couples split apart with both her and Joe Garratt forced to leave the show. Revealing all the behind-the-scenes gossip we want to know, she also spoke up about the no masturbation rule in the villa.

Gallery

Love Island Rules - Grazia

Love Island Rules - Grazia1 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t masturbate

With rumours swirling that Sherif was booted from the villa for masturbating in the shower, The Sun reported that he would 'spend hours' in there - however, he wasn't necessarily masturbating himself. 'When producers told Islanders they have to get ready to film a challenge, Sherif was deliberately spending ages in the shower. He said he couldn't be bothered,' the source said. Avoiding challenges or participating in some healthy self-care? All we know is 2 months without masturbating is a long time to go...

Love Island Rules - Grazia2 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You have to shower at certain times

When writing for Grazia Daily, Zara McDermott revealed that she was most shocked to see Islanders showering in the morning. 'We could only use the shower each evening,' she said of last season. Spending all day in the sun without a morning shower? No wonder Amber was worried about smelling when she Michael went to kiss her last night.

Love Island Rules - Grazia3 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t talk about your relationship on Saturday's

In a shock revelation on This Morning, 2017 Love Island winner Kem Cetinay revealed the real reason the show doesn't air on Saturday's. 'They give you one day off. You get one day off per week,' he said, 'What happens is, it gives them a day to clean the villa, and you take your mics off, and normally we go to the beach.'But that wasn't the only startling revelation, he also admitted that producers watch Islanders like a hawk because they're not actually allowed to discuss their relationships. Essentially, anything they have to talk about their home lives outside the villa, lest they be scolded for breaking the all important rules.

Love Island Rules - Grazia4 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can only have two glasses of wine or beer on a ‘big night’

They get dressed up, put on a full-face of makeup, film awkward dance sequences, and all for two little glasses of wine or beer. According to 2016 Islander Liana Isadora Van-Riel, 'you're allowed one or two drinks a night, either wine or beer, no spirits.'And while contestants will opt for two drinks on a 'big night', most nights they just have a cup of tea. Wild.

Love Island Rules - Grazia5 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t be naked ever, even in the bathroom

Since the villa is technically a public space, there can be no nudity whatsoever as it would be considered public indecency. That means even in the bathroom, islanders can never be completely naked in front of each other.

Love Island Rules - Grazia6 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t read a book or magazine

We knew about the no phone rule, which makes sense given they don't want Islanders reading about themselves online or hearing updates from the outside world, but no books or magazines?! No wonder half of them end up stir crazy, with 2017 contestant Montana admitting the villa is really boring day to day.

Love Island Rules - Grazia7 of 17

You have to eat at certain times

According to Montana, contestants can make their own breakfast but lunch and dinner is always catered. In fact, food is brought through a secret door. 'In the larder there's another door that goes out the back that they lock,' she said, 'That's how they deliver food.'It's long been a question why we never see the Islanders eating, but Montana stated that's when producers come in and charge the contestants microphones, insisting 'everyone wants that good because it's so yum.'

Love Island Rules - Grazia8 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t take your mic off ever

One of the most serious rules in the villa, contestants aren't allowed to take their mic's off apart from on Saturday's, their off day. If you're caught doing it more than once, you'll be axed from the villa immediately, according to The Mirror.

Love Island Rules - Grazia9 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You're not allowed to know the time

You essentially have to become a full Girl Guide in the villa if you want to know the time, telling it through the sun. Because, Islanders aren't allowed to know themselves and all of their phones are set to different times. 'You never know what the time is,' 2017 contestant Montana told The Independent, 'They'll wake you up by putting the lights on or a voiceover will say "Islanders, it's time to get up".'

Love Island Rules - Grazia10 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can’t smoke in the villa, even in the garden

Last year, Love Island stopped showing scenes where contestants were smoking after complaints they were all partaking in the habit too much. Now, Islanders aren't allowed to smoke on the premises at all, even in the garden.

Love Island Rules - Grazia11 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You can't have unprotected sex

With rumours Kem and Amber got in trouble last year for having unprotected sex, this rule seems to be even more integral this year. Discussions around sex on Love Island have snowballed massively as the seasons become more and more popular each year. While early seasons saw Islanders getting busy almost every night, in the same room with scenes often aired every episode, sex has become much more taboo - when it comes to airing it at least. Last year, producers decided to stop airing sex scenes, as well as the Islanders smoking. Given the slut-shaming many female contestants receive upon doing the completely natural act it's unsurprising.

Love Island Rules - Grazia12 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You have to go for scheduled chats

And they must be juicy. According to Montana, when she and fellow 2017 contestant Camilla were talking about hymms they like, producers intercepted and told them to spice it up ('that's not interesting', they said). In fact, producers will also intervene to ensure certain people talk, but the conversation itself is not necessarily staged. 'They might be like, "Camilla, pull Montana aside and ask how she's feeling about Alex"', Montana admitted.

Love Island Rules - Grazia13 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You’re not allowed to get waxes

It's long been wondered how the contestants keep up with their beauty routines in the villa, with not a bumpy bikini line or stubbly chest in sight. Do contestants have waxers brought in to the villa? Absolutely not, according to Montana. While the women in her season requested wax strips to do it themselves, they 'all had bruising' and so resorted to shaving, with Montana insists 'most people' do.

Love Island Rules - Grazia14 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

You absolutely cannot have drunken sex

A huge villa no-no, drunken sex is completely off the cards for Love Island contestants. Given that they're allowed two wines or beers on big nights and most of them sip on tea all night, we're not sure that's a huge risk, to be honest.

Love Island Rules - Grazia15 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

No inappropriate language or behaviour

One of the actually non-weird rules, contestants are completely prohibited from 'innapropriate language or behaviour'. While it's quite a broad, and subjective, phrase, the rulebook applies it to racial slurs, homophobia and aggressive language. Plus, sexual harassment and physical violence is included in this rule.One of the biggest swirling rules about Sherif's ban is that he and Anton got into a heated argument. Given that the only other villa removal we've seen because of rule-breaking was when Malia Arkian punched Kady McDermott back in season two, it's high on the list of likely reasons Sherif was banned.

Love Island Rules - Grazia16 of 17
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

They need to keep the complete rule book at all times

All of these rules must not only be obeyed at all times, but contestants must also keep the rule book in their possession too - just in case they forget about the whole no masturbating thing.

Love Island Rules - Grazia17 of 17
CREDIT: Getty Images

No discriminating against staff

Another non-weird rule, contestants aren't allowed to be rude or discriminatory to staff or else they will be booted off.

‘I'm pretty sure they've all been ramping them out to be honest. I'm not going to lie. They are in there a long time,’ she said, ‘I'm pretty sure, you can't have all of the boys not doing it, in one way or another. You couldn't do that. I couldn't imagine any boys not doing that. They've done it all privately.’

Alas, it does mean more than one of them have likely been caught on camera as she also revealed that there are even cameras in the toilet. And yet, there is so much we don’t see. From swarms of flying cockroaches to entire Islanders (remember when we just didn’t see Sherif for like three days before he left?!), it seems that we truly have no idea what’s really going on inside the Love Island villa despite it being on every single night of the week.

To be honest, we can understand with the cockroaches, they’re not exactly the best mood-setter. Trying to find love and have romantic moments surrounded by the creepiest of crawlies WITH WINGS? Not ideal.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us