While Dani Dyer was well backed at the start of last year’s Love Island, the contest is not always as apparently cut and dried. The programme producers are under pressure this year to offer more support to contestants in the wake of past tragedies not only linked to this programme but also ITV’s Jeremy Kyle Show, which has been cancelled. No doubt, new contracts will have more provisions and probably more disclaimers but that hasn’t stopped the young and beautiful queuing up to earn a place in the lavish Majorcan villa in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.
It’s the same venue as last year but the interior has had an overhaul and is ready host a summer of love for the seven men and five women already announced.
It appears that it does help to have connections to a celebrity or have to have ‘ form’ in other reality game shows to get a ticket to Love Island. Curtis Pritchard (8/1 with betway to be Top Man), for example, was a contestant on Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted in 2018, even though he’s a professional ballroom dancer. His brother, AJ, is one of the professionals on Strictly Come Dancing so the 23-year-old has the right pedigree for Love Island.
Tommy Fury (a best 4/1 to be Top Man) is the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury but Sherif Larne (a general 10/1) is a trainee chef with a passion for rugby so doesn’t really fit the stereotype. If he enjoys an extended stay in the villa, he’s going to miss a few covers and probably the start of pre-season training.
Pharmacist Ann Vakili looks set to be a sizeable character in the race to be Top Woman on Love Island at a general 5/1 but surfer Lucie Donlan is also likely to be popular, with the boys at least, though an admittance that the 21-year-old from Newquay gets bored easily doesn’t bode well for a long-term relationship. She is 5/1 with Boylesports to be Top Woman and scientist Yewande Biala is 9/1 with the same firm. Flight attendant Amy Hart is a best 3/1 at the start of the series but expect more names to be added to both lists before everything is decided.
Following the deaths of former contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, Love Island is on a final warning and has to be seen to be doing the right thing by contestants who will be in the public glare for several weeks and need to be equipped to cope when the lights are turned out and the cameras stop rolling. ITV recently announced all contestants of this year’s series will receive therapy sessions after the show has ended and let’s hope that’s enough to prevent further heartache.
