Let's get this out of the way. This article is not a debate: it is a straight up stan piece for season two of Love Island. An unequivocal list of reasons why, no matter what you think, season two is the best series of Love Island ever.
‘Season two!?’, I hear you scream. There have been plenty of seasons of the show since then – in 2024, we're all the way up to season 11, which finishes on Monday 29 July. Largely, fans consider season three to be the best season ever, thanks to the hilarity provided by Chris Hughes and Kem Cetinay. Season five, which introduced us to Amber Gill, Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury, is often listed as a close second.
However, what you may not remember (since it aired all the way back in 2016), is that season two actually had many more entertaining moments and hilarious friendships – and loads of scandal, too.
In fact, here are 11 excellent reasons why season two was the peak Love Island...
11 Reasons Love Island Season Two Was Best
1 of 12Everyone was at it, every hour of the day
Nowadays, an awareness of the influencing opportunities available to the islanders means Love Island is seriously lacking in sex? That was, it's fair to say, not the case on season two. Everyone was romping 24/7, pretty much in front of each other simultaneously. We had Alex Bowen and Zara Holland's infamous night in the hideaway which problematically cost her her Miss GB title, Sophie Gradon and Tom Powell's big wardrobe moment, Terry Walsh and Emma-Jane Woodham having sex ON TOP OF THE COVERS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. It got to the point where Nathan Massey would commentate each couple's romps, in real time, like a racing commentator. If that isn't the Love Island content you came for, then you're the only one in the world...
2 of 12It was the first time an islander was removed from the villa
These days, we rarely see full blown fights between contestants; but then again, there hasn't been another Kady McDermott. Fireworks flew in season two when Malia Arkian took Scott Thomas on a date while he was coupled up with Kady. Returning to the villa, Kady made an effort to sit next to Malia so she didn't feel uncomfortable, and then accidentally spilt a drink on her. Malia took this to be purposeful, and started a full-blown row with Kady that resulted in her pushing her by the pool. Of course, Malia was removed from the villa. Some people might call Love Island low-brow, but violence SIMPLY won't stand, darling.
3 of 12There were tons of dramatic voluntary exits
One of the most dramatic moments came when Rachel Fenton was voted off the island by her fellow contestants, to which Rykard Jenkins dramatically declared, 'If you've got a good girl, mate, you can't really let her go so, I'm out' before chasing her down the beach. Later, Sophie Gradon similarly followed her heart after Tom Powell was voted out of the villa. Having tried and failed to make a new relationship work with Katie Salmon, she asked the Love Island dog - yes, there was a Love Island dog, which in itself proves why this season was in the best - whether she should 'go home and see Tom'. She later left the villa, telling her fellow human contestants, 'My time is done'.
4 of 12Producers gave them DOGS
You know what? The dog It IS a reason in itself. Back in 2016 couples were given dogs to look after instead of toy babies. Not only are dogs better than babies (in my opinion), but these were actual living, breathing, adorable living beings. Their appearance made, quite possibly, the best Love Island episodes ever.
5 of 12The challenges were much more savage
In season two, our entertainment was peaked by the mugged off challenge. The savagery was on another level, as contestants not only had to guess who had mugged who off - in a move that finally outed Malin Andersson as the person who told the boys Olivia Buckland slept with Rykard - they also had to throw cold tea in each others faces. Great TV.
6 of 12The first ever ex-partner was thrown in
Producers first pulled this stunt back in 2016, throwing in Emma to ruffle Tom's feathers. Not only did Emma cause a stir by coupling up with Terry so soon after Malin left, but Tom and Sophie's suspicion of Emma gave us a good few episodes of drama.
7 of 12It was the birth of the Love Island hot-take
If there is any reason to justify watching Love Island, in all of its tasteless glory, it's the show's ability to give you something to talk about at work the next day. We've seen endless water cooler moments and hot takes coming out of Love Island since season two, whether it's discussions around feminism or slut-shaming. This came to fruition with our beloved 2016 series, after Zara Holland lost her Miss GB title because she slept with Alex Bowen. Cue instant fury and boycotting of the Miss GB pageant. Without this infamous Love Island moment, we never would've realised how many opinions you can form from a show about beautiful people in bikinis fancying each other.
8 of 12There were MANY more relatable moments
Love Island draws you in with it's ability to create a relatable moment. This could not be truer of season two, when the contestants were so well chosen that we found ourselves glued to their emotional journey. Whether it was Sophie's amazing ability to articulate why women can sleep with whoever they want, Olivia's fears about Alex messing her about, or Malin's fury at Terry moving on so quickly, there was a personality in there that everyone could relate to.
9 of 12The cast had much more integrated friendships, and they were adorable
Olivia was just as close to Cara Delahoyde as she was to Rykard, and all of the contestants were equally as invested in their friendships as they were each others relationships, making for a lot more drama. We saw the adorable friendship between Cara and Olivia that has outlasted many of the shows relationships, Nathan's ability to bring the entire group together and Alex and Terry's unspoken bromance.
10 of 12The return of Malin was TV gold
We didn't need Casa Amor in season two. Oh no – the contestants created all the drama themselves without heavily produced divides or savage separations. Terry unceremoniously moving onto Emma just days after Malin left the villa had us all shocked, only for our jaws to end up on the floor when Malin returned to confront Terry. If Terry's face doesn't say it all I don't know what will...
11 of 12There was the first ever same sex couple
Katie entered, told the girls she's bisexual and subsequently started dating Sophie. Not only was it a first for the show, it enabled the girls to educate the boys about why their extremely over-excited reaction was problematic. Who could forget Cara explaining to Nathan, her future husband, why lesbianism does not exist for the male gaze?
12 of 12It was much more sex positive
The peak of the series came in Sophie's pageant speech, which she devoted to Zara, eloquently explaining the double-standard women experience for having sex following her public treatment. Watching Sophie shout to the world, 'Women like to have sex!', was a season highlight and still tops our list as the best Love Island moment of all time.