The Dark Secrets That Love Island’s Producers Don’t Want You To Know

By Juliet Smith 1 year ago

1. Contestants Have to Test...

Love Island 2022

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There's a rigorous testing process being the contestants are actually let loose in the Love Island villa - and this is the same for stars who have been approached and for those who have applied in the traditional way. A big one is STIs; all candidates are tested before they arrive at the villa.

2. And They'd Be Kicked Out If They Weren't Clean

Love Island Beds

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A source in the Love Island crew has previously confirmed that anyone who tests positive for an STI at this stage will be kicked off the show! They said:
"Bosses are doing the responsible thing by making sure everyone who goes in has a clean bill of health. If someone was found to have an STI, and there wasn’t enough time for it to be treated, they’d be out."

3. Laura Whitmore Doesn't Stay in Majorca...

Laura Whitmore Host Love Island

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These days, Laura Whitmore doesn't appear for a lot of the action on Love Island. But if you're wondering if she's also based in Mallorca for the entire series, then you'd be wrong. In fact, Laura flies between the UK and Majorca for every episode she appears in - that's some hefty air miles!

4. And Neither Does Her Narrator Boyfriend

Iain Stirling Recording

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Laura Whitmore's boyfriend is none other than Iain Stirling, the enigmatic narrator for Love Island. He also isn't based in Majorca, but a recording basement in London where he spends a part of each day watching the latest episode and recording voiceover. He's even revealed that sometimes he does this
in the nude!

5. Condoms are Free...

Love Island Condoms

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The Islanders are certainly equipped for a fun time while on the show. Producers leave over 200 condoms scattered around the house, in case any of the contestants fancy having a good time with another contestant. These are all Love Island branded, of course.

6. And Some Ex-Housemates Have Taken Full Advantage

Finley Tapp Paige Love Island

Image Source: cosmopolitan.com

Some contestants have taken full advantage of the free condoms in the villa. In fact, ex-contestant Finley Tapp has since revealed that he stole some from the villa when he left to use with his girlfriend Paige Turley. The two certainly had something to celebrate, as they won winter edition of the show in 2020.

7. The Show Isn't Sexless - You're Just Not Seeing It

Love Island Sex

Image Source: thesun.co.uk

But wait - the contestants don't have as much sex as they used to, do they? Well, actually, they're still having sex - the producers just don't show it. The recent change is meant to prevent Islanders from being embarrassed by their exploits in the future - especially if they don't stay with the person they're coupled up with.

8. The Producers Even Encourage People To Have Sex

Love Island Sex Toys

Image Source: mirror.co.uk

However, it's not as if the producers aren't encouraging people to have sex on the show. As well as the hundreds of free condoms supplied to the villa, Islanders are also given sex toys to make their time on the show more fun. Previous winners Kem and Amber even said that the producers challenged them to have sex in as many spots in the villa as possible!

9. The Islanders Only Make Breakfast Themselves...

Love Island Kitchen

Image Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Those scenes where the Islanders appear all sleepy in the kitchen and wonder what's for breakfast? Those are all real. In fact, it's just about the only meal that they make themselves. For many of the lads, this means a protein smoothie after a workout - and if they're nice, they'll make one for their girlfriend too.

10. And Eat With The Crew

Love Island Eating

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So, what happens at dinner then? Well, it turns out that this is one of the few times that the Islanders are not caught on camera. In fact, they take their mics off for dinner and eat with the producers. 2016 contestant Kady said:
"The food tasted amazing. They used to give us a dessert after every lunch and every dinner, and the cake was unreal, and we could request food if we wanted."

11. Food Deliveries Are Totally Allowed...

Love Island Anton

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The Islanders might get a great buffet dinner served to them, but some of the contestants still opt for comfort food deliveries. One of those contestants is Anton Danyluk, who said that during his time on the show he had producers deliver him McFlurries each week - they're a great antidote for the heat, we'll give you that!

12. But Otherwise It's As Normal As Being At Home

Love Island Villa

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Okay - being a reality contestant living in a glamorous villa in Majorca fo the summer isn't exactly like real life. However, the contestants still have their little domestic habits. This includes laundry days and being told by producers to clean their rooms when they're a mess!

13. There Really Are Cameras Everywhere

Love Island Bedrooms

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We all know that the contestants are filmed in their bedrooms, on the terrace, and in the garden, but the cameras really are everywhere. In fact, filming is 24 hours a day, no matter what the contestants are doing, and all of that footage goes straight to the control room, where the producers decide what goes in the final edit.

14. The Contestants Get One Day Off...

Kem Love Island

Image Source: digitalspy.com

We all know that Love Island doesn't broadcast on a Saturday evening (boo!). This isn't just a way to increase anticipation for Sunday night's episode, though. Actually, it's a way to give the contestants a day off from filming on a Saturday. Kem Cetinay said it's also an opportunity for cleaners to come into the villa.

15. And Sometimes They Leave the Villa

Do Islanders Get Day Off

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But the contestants don't just spend their Saturdays lazing about the villa. In fact, if you thought they were not allowed to leave at all, then you'd be wrong. Kem also said that sometimes the Islanders get to take a trip to a nearby beach to cool off from the show or just have a day out away from the villa.

16. Smoking Is Banned...

Love Island Smoking

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If you've watched Love Island since the beginning, you'll know that contestants used to be able to smoke on camera. Those who did smoke were actually given up to 20 cigarettes a day to sustain their habit! However, in 2018, producers stopped showing smoking on screen.

17. But That Doesn't Mean It Doesn't Happen

Amber Davies Smoking

Image Source: express.co.uk

But they didn't ban it completely. Since 2018, there's been a dedicated smoking area in the villa where Islanders can go - though only one person at a time is allowed to be there, and they aren't filmed. Previous contestant Craig Lawson even said that people who didn't regularly smoke would pick it up in the villa. He said:
"I’m a non-smoker but I would still get a supply. You get so bored when you’re in there – that’s why you see so many people smoking. There’s only so much you can talk about your life."

18. And the Smoking Area Doesn't Work

Shaughna Love Island

Image Source: digitalspy.com

However, the smoking area doesn't seem to be working too well - and that could be because smoking is now so regulated by producers. Discussing the concept of the smoking area, 2020 contestant Shaughna Phillips even said:
"You try going for a fag break in there, would be easier and quicker to harvest the tobacco myself."

19. No, They Don't Do Their Hair and Makeup Themselves

Georgia Love Island

Image Source: thesun.co.uk

While those shots of the girls getting ready for dinner in the dressing room aren't entirely false, it's true that they do get some help with hair and makeup sometimes. After weeks on end in the villa, people need a haircut! Previous contestant Georgia Steele said:
"The girls needed the hair and nails done, we needed our hair cut, so they had to schedule that. We were given a day where everyone could do everything, but it wasn’t treated like a day off."

20. The Islanders Have No Idea What Time It Is

Love Island Villa Clocks

Image Source: thesun.co.uk

Ever noticed that there are no clocks anywhere in the villa? Well, the producers intentionally make it so that the contestants never know what time of the day it is. This is probably to keep everyone focused on the drama, rather than wondering when dinner is. And, they can always go old-school and predict the time from the sun.

21. They Can't Keep Their Own Phones

Phones on Love Island

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The 'I've got a text!' call has become iconic - everyone knows it. But did you know that those phones aren't actually the contestants' own? Actually, they all get provided with a Love Island-approved mobile when the series starts, and their own phones are locked away where they can't touch them.

22. Drama Is Filmed More Than Once

Hugo Love Island

Image Source: heatworld.com

There's no wonder that contestants are tired when sometimes it takes more than one take to get the action. This generally applies to the more 'showy' shots, like when Islanders go for couples dates, but apparently, it happens during romantic moments too. Last year's contestant Hugo Hammond supposedly took five takes to kiss Amy!

23. It Takes Hours to do a Recoupling

Recoupling Love Island 2022

Image Source: ladbible.com

Yep, you heard that right. While a recoupling might be over before you know it for viewers (even with those pesky cliffhangers!), in actual fact it takes hours to film a recoupling. Former Love Island contestant Shaughna Phillips has revealed that filming can go into the early hours of the morning, with all the contestants desperate for sleep.

24. Mic Upkeep Is A Hassle

Love Island Mics

Image Source: ok.co.uk

As we've mentioned, the Islanders have some time off-camera at dinner, where they get to eat with producers and chat normally. However, this is also the time where the crew charge the microphones that are constantly strapped to contestants - if that didn't happen, there'd be a risk of some of them losing battery during filming.

25. There's a Drinks Limit

Love Island Alcohol Drinking

Image Source: stellar.ie

You might think that being on Love Island is just one massive party with unlimited alcohol - but you'd be wrong. There's actually a limit on how much the Islanders can drink during dinner: two glasses of wine or two glasses of beer per person. This isn't a lot at all, but we guarantee it would be a whole lot more difficult to film with drunk contestants.

26. Beach Hut Scenes are Sometimes Scripted

Love Island Beach Hut

Image Source: ok.co.uk

While the show isn't entirely scripted, past contestants have said that sometimes producers will encourage the Islanders to talk about a certain topic in the Beach Hut. One Islander previously said:
"They [producers] might call you in to get your thoughts and opinion on something that’s just happened."

27. The Villa Has a Tannoy...

Love Island Villa 2022

Image Source: dailyrecord.co.uk

Apparently, the villa has a property-wide tannoy system, which the producers can use to get in touch with groups of the contestants all at once. They call this 'the voice of God', but doesn't it make the show sound kind of like a hellish boarding school?

28. And Some Contestants Get Called Out

Chris Williamson Love Island

Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

In fact, some contestants have explained that the tannoy is often used to tell off contestants for doing the wrong thing! Chris Williamson previously said: Chris Williamson said:
"There’s a tannoy system where they come over like a mother telling off naughty children, reminding you that you’re not supposed to be talking about this or that."

29. The Islanders Get No Info From the Outside World...

Love Island 2021

Image Source: cosmopolitan.com

If it seems that the Islanders are completely cut off from normal life (except for food deliveries, of course), then it's because they basically are. The contestants are not allowed to contact anyone from their normal lives, meaning they have no idea about what's happening back in the UK.

30. Except Football Scores

Adam Love Island

Image Source: thesun.co.uk

Obviously, some things are vitally important and need to be shared - and that includes football scores. During last year's series, England played the World Cup in 2018, the Islanders had to come up with a way to find out the scores. Adam Collard explained:
"We're not supposed to ask, but when Sam Bird came into the house we pestered the life out of him and then he told us the England score for the first game, and then the girls in Casa Amor told us the second score."

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