This year’s series of Love Island has been dramatic, to say the least. The brutal dumpings, cruel uncouplings and secret hook-ups have made the 12th season one of the most talked about shows of the moment. And while most viewers are talking about the love drama on screen, Harry Cooksley - who was seen having a secret kiss with bombshell Yasmin Pettet - and Ben Holbrough - who's with Shakira Khan - are trending after footage of their dramatic hair transformations emerged.
That's right, 'Love Island Harry hair transplant' and 'Love Island Ben hair transplant' are breakout search terms for the Islanders, according to Google Trends. Perhaps unsurprising, 'Love Island Harry before and after hair transplant' is also trending - people love to have a nose at those 'before and after' pictures!
Has Harry from Love Island had a hair transplant?
Before showing off his full mullet in the villa, semi-pro footballer Harry, 30, says he used to hide his receding hairline with caps. He flew to Turkey for a hair transplant, thought to have cost over £5,500. In a throwback video from 2018, which has gone viral, Harry – then aged 23 – shared his journey at the EstePera clinic in Istanbul. He’s seen from start to finish, from having his hairline mapped up for the procedure, before his hair was shaved prior to the transplant and the final result.
‘The process was pretty much pain free. The surgeons were brilliant and I am absolutely delighted with the outcome,’ he said.
Viewers praised his openness. ‘I think it’s really important for men to be open about hair transplants as much as women are about extensions. Good on them for normalising it,’ one watcher commented. Another remarked, ‘It’s refreshing to see Love Island stars being open about personal decisions like hair transplants. A great conversation starter!’ with a third adding, ‘It’s interesting to see Love Island stars opening up about their hair journeys. Great to see more honesty around self-care!’
Has Ben Holbrough had a hair transplant too?
Ben, 23, has also had a similar procedure, although he got his done at 360 Hair Clinic in Brighton. He went through his transplant in 2023, for which prices start from £2,500.
‘Before he made his way into the Love Island villa, Ben came to us last year to start his hair restoration journey, and we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look from the very beginning,’ said hair loss expert Sophie.
She shared footage of Ben’s hairline marked up by a surgeon and his hair shaved off, before the hair follicles from the back of his head extracted and implanted in front of his natural hairline.
The taxi driver and model was visibly thrilled with the results. ‘That’s sick,’ he said as he admired his new hair. In an update six months after his surgery, he revealed that his hair has been growing thicker, stronger and healthier, with 80 percent back. ‘Ben’s hair is looking better than ever,’ Sophie explained.
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.