Love Island is renowned for its drama-filled episodes that keep us on the edge of our seats, and the All-Stars series promises to deliver just as much excitement. The show has brought back some familiar faces, including Ekin-Su, Curtis Pritchard, Olivia Hawkins, Gabby Allen, and her former flame Marcel Sommerville, setting the stage for explosive reunions in the iconic villa. Over the years, we’ve been gripped by some jaw-dropping moments, from Zara Holland’s Miss Great Britain title being revoked to Marcel Sommerville’s betrayal of Gabby Allen – it’s been quite the rollercoaster ride. With Love Island All-Stars gracing our screens once again, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the most scandalous events in the show’s history… Stripped Miss GB crown
Zara Holland lost her Miss GB crown while on Love Island in 2016
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Alex Bowen and Zara had sex in the hideaway
(Image: ITV screengrab)
One of the most unforgettable scandals occurred during the second series of Love Island in 2016 when Zara Holland was stripped of her Miss Great Britain crown. Zara was smitten with newcomer Alex Bowen, and their steamy night in the hideaway resulted in her losing the prestigious title, reports the Mirror. While still in the villa, Zara received the devastating news, with Miss GB officials stating she had been explicitly prohibited from engaging in sexual activity on the show while on air. Reflecting on the incident, Zara confessed, “You know when you’re in the moment and it just happens. That’s really not like me at all. Why couldn’t we have just gone to sleep?” Despite the setback, she stayed on the island, but decided to exit the competition early after finding out her mother was ill. Axed from show
Malia Arkian was axed from the show after a ‘physical altercation’
(Image: ITV screengrab)
In the second season of Love Island, Malia Arkian made headlines as the first contestant to be removed from the show following a heated altercation in the villa. The clash began when Malin confronted Kady McDermott over a spilt drink, which quickly escalated into what was described as a “physical altercation”, with Kady later alleging she had been punched in the face. Malin’s stay on the show lasted merely a day before her exit, and while initially denying the accusations, she eventually admitted feeling “embarrassed” upon reviewing the footage. Ofcom complaints
Siânnise Fudge was left unimpressed during the tense villa challenge
(Image: ITV screengrab)
The show’s first winter series didn’t escape controversy either, racking up 377 Ofcom complaints after a villa challenge sparked outrage. The News Splash Challenge involved islanders guessing who certain tabloid headlines referred to, but it ended up causing strife among the contestants. One headline hinted that Finley Tapp might have had his head turned during Casa Amor, despite being coupled with Paige Turley. Luke Trotman also faced backlash when a headline brought up Siânnise Fudge’s private moment from their time in the Hideaway, which he had shared with the boys earlier. Siânnise was visibly upset by the revelation, leading to further tension in the villa. Sudden exit
Sherif Lanre abruptly left the villa after he allegedly broke ‘villa rules’
(Image: BBC screengrab)
Sherif Lanre’s stint on Love Island 2017 was cut short after he reportedly broke “villa rules”, leaving fans confused when his exit wasn’t shown on the main programme. Sherif admitted, “I broke the villa rules and as a result agreed with the producers that it was best for me to leave the villa.” He also expressed regret: “I regret that I didn’t conduct myself in the right way and, as a 20 year old guy, it’s something I know I will take on board and learn from. I really enjoyed my time in the villa and look forward to catching up with everyone on the outside.” He later revealed to The Sun the details of his rule breach, which reportedly involved accidentally kicking Molly-Mae Hague in the groin and making an inappropriate joke about it. Emotional walkout
Jacques O’Neill decided to leave the show early after struggling with his mental health
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The show took an emotional turn during series eight when Jacques O’Neill tearfully told his fellow Islanders he would be exiting the villa early due to struggles with his mental health and not feeling himself after a rocky relationship with Paige Thorne. His candidness about his mental health struggles earned him commendation. He said at the time, “It broke me and I was already broken. I was crying my eyes out. I couldn’t cope. I was literally feeling awful. It was the worst I’d ever felt in my life.” Malin’s return
Malin Andersson made a sensational return to confront Terry Walsh
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Terry Walsh made waves back in 2016 on Love Island, making headlines with his risqué bedroom behaviour. The islander got cosy with Malin Andersson, only for her to be unexpectedly dumped from the villa on day 25. But Terry wasn’t one to mope around; he quickly turned his charm on newcomer Emma Jane Woodhams, despite swearing he’d stay true to Malin. Cue their unfiltered nighttime escapade sans duvet cover, which left everyone absolutely gobsmacked. Just when you thought things couldn’t get more intense, Malin stormed back into the villa to call Terry out for his quick rebound – talk about explosive TV moments! Slammed arrivals
Craig Lawson reportedly didn’t say goodbye to his children before entering the Love Island villa
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Meanwhile, during Love Island’s third season, Craig Lawson entered as a bombshell contestant with his sights set on Camilla Thurlow. However, drama unravelled when his ex, Sian Dilley, vented on Facebook after Craig went on the show without reportedly bidding farewell to his two little ones. According to The Sun, her fiery post read: “As many of you have seen and messaged me about yes I am fully aware that the disgrace that calls himself my son’s father is going into Love Island.” She blasted him for not communicating about his participation in the show or making plans for their child, expressing her frustration: “He has not even had the decency to contact me regarding this and regarding arrangements for my son and up until last night I was under the impression that my son was going to spend the weekend with him like he does every other weekend.” Sian didn’t hold back, calling Craig an “absolute joke of a human being” and firmly stating: “What he does with his life will no longer affect my children or myself.” Theo Campbell’s bombshell arrival in the Love Island villa back in 2017 certainly shook things up among the Islanders. Shortly after Theo strutted into the ITV2 series, whispers began that the sportsman had left his girlfriend high and dry to join the reality TV show.
After his arrival in the villa, it was claimed that Theo Campbell had ditched his girlfriend to join the show
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Chloe Demaret didn’t stay silent, taking to Twitter with screenshots of messages allegedly from Theo, showing him pleading “come see me today” and lamenting “I miss you”. Jamie Jewitt is rumoured to have ended things with his girlfriend just before jetting off to Spain for his Love Island stint in 2017. The model reportedly kept his three-month romance with Georgia Hayden under wraps from the ITV bosses to bag a spot on the hit ITV2 dating programme, calling it quits with her mere hours before boarding his flight. But as fate would have it, Jamie found love with Camilla Thurlow on the island, and the couple were the second to last standing by the finale. Fast forward to now, Jamie and Camilla have been happily married since 2021 and are doting parents to their adorable trio, Nell, Nora, and Brodie. Holiday affair
Marcel Somerville was unfaithful to Gabby Allen nine months into their relationship
(Image: ITV screengrab)
Love Island alums Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen ignited a romance during their stint on the show’s third season and remained together after exiting the villa. However, nine months into their relationship, Marcel’s infidelity surfaced, revealing he had an affair while on holiday with Gabby in Mexico. Gabby was devastated upon discovering a trail of incriminating text messages on Marcel’s phone to another woman. After the news broke, Marcel owned up to his mistake and offered a heartfelt apology to Gabby. The two seemingly made amends, with Marcel stating at the time: “We talked, we hugged it out.” Fast forward to the present, both Marcel and Gabby have returned to the Love Island villa for the All-Stars edition, sparking curiosity among fans: can their past romance be rekindled?
