LOVE Island has finally revealed the eight sexy singletons gearing up for sun, scandal and sexual chemistry by the bucketful in the villa this year.
Cast members include a microbiologist, a fishmonger, the show’s first deaf contestant and Gemma Owen, the daughter of ex-footballer Michael Owen.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the debut bumper episode, which airs at 9pm this Monday on ITV2.
But what really happens when contestants are axed – and where do the countless selfies they take end up?
Here 2021 Islander Brett Staniland shares his behind-the-scenes secrets with The Sun.
‘Degrading' sex questions
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Brett says he was approached by Love Island producers via Instagram with a “bog-standard message” asking him to apply for an unnamed ITV show.
Multiple interviews followed – and he says he struggled with the very personal nature of the questions.
Brett recalls: “They asked how many sexual partners I had, which isn’t something I would divulge.
“I feel like it’s weird to keep count of how many people you sleep with, it’s like having a black book, and to me, it’s degrading to women.”
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After the grilling, Brett says he was “in the dark” about whether he’d appear on Love Island until two days before his flight to Majorca.
Upon arrival, he had to quarantine with a chaperone in a luxury villa with a pool.
News blackout
Brett was cast as a ‘bombshell’ – someone tasked with breaking up existing couples – but before he went into the villa he says he was deprived access to the outside world.
For the first week of quarantine he was allowed to use his phone and laptop, but then it was confiscated and his TV viewing was restricted.
“You’re not allowed to watch live TV or stay up to date with the news, which was scary for me because my dad was literally fighting fires in Turkey,” Brett says.
“You’re always behind with Love Island too, so you’ve got no idea what’s happened in the villa.”
Crisis plan
Brett claims contestants were asked whether they would want to be told of any “big personal news” while inside the villa.
If they chose not to, he claims they could have been clueless about something awful, like the death of a family member, until they left.
Brett adds: “I think it was because of Covid. If someone left for a funeral they wouldn’t be allowed back in.”
‘Scraping the barrel’
Brett was “four or five episodes behind” when he entered the villa – so when he was asked about his romantic targets, he was clueless.
“They asked who I had eyes for but there was no one. I liked Abigail [Rawlings] but she had gone, so it was like scraping the barrel,” he explains.
“Filming is always one day behind too, so after missing those episodes there was almost a week’s worth of goings-on that I had missed.”
Brett turned his attention to Priya Gopaldas, and while trying to woo her he had a little help from producers who got him the ingredients to put together a cocktail-making class.
He says: “They got me glasses, ice, lime and all the things to make a mojito. It was such a good idea and they were really helpful while trying to plan my little date.”
Deleted scene
Previous Love Islanders claim they were stitched up by the editing process – but Brett says the team helped him out on one occasion.
He says: “Priya basically said I was boring and not right for her, but because I didn’t know that I thought we were close enough to share personal things.
“I overshared when she wasn’t feeling it and said some really personal things that I regretted, and really didn’t want the general public to know.
“I went to the team and was like, ‘I need to speak to someone please,’ and told them, ‘I do not want that airing!’”
Brett – who did not want to reveal his confession – was relieved when the crew called him in the next day to confirm they wouldn’t use that exchange in the show.
He adds that filming sessions at night “took ages” because they were constantly interrupted by wildlife noises and bugs flying into people’s faces.
If Islanders mumbled or stumbled over their words, Brett says there would be an announcement over a tannoy asking them to "say it again" because it "wasn't crystal clear".
Selfies disappear
During Love Island, viewers often see the cast taking snaps of each other to pass the time – but according to Brett, they don’t get to keep the photos.
He says: “The phone is really basic. It has a messaging app and a camera but that’s it. There’s nothing else.
“I really wanted the pictures because it was all of us messing around. However, only ITV have access to pull the images and they don’t send them to you.
“I think they used to do it before, but now there’s 40 Islanders and at least 100 pictures each, so it probably got out of hand.”
£500 clothing allowance
Love Islanders bring multiple outfits to be approved by the camera crew, but are also offered clothing from the show’s sponsors, according to Brett.
He says: “Before you go in you get sent a code that gives you £500 credit on an online store and then they deliver everything to the villa where you are quarantining.
“Then when you’re in Casa Amor there’s a big duffle bag delivered to you every three or four days that contains swimwear, trainers, evening outfits and everything.
“It’s like a whole wardrobe of brand new stuff every few days and if you talk to the team, you can request specific items, like more underwear, socks or anything else you need.”
One regular section of the show that doesn’t make the final cut is cast members getting approval for their clothes every day.
Brett says: “You have to hold up your shirt to make sure it doesn’t make the cameras strobe. Often they are like, ‘Yeah, you can’t wear that.’
“I filmed my entrance scenes while the Islanders were out on a challenge, but because my shorts caused camera problems they had to stall them while we filmed it all over again.”
'No rush to leave'
There are tears galore when a Love Islander leaves the villa, but according to Brett there’s “no real rush”.
He says: “It’s not really strict. I don’t remember anyone getting forced out. You have time to give everyone a hug and then chat while you’re packing your bags.
“There’s no real rush for you to leave. I think it took me around 45 minutes between being voted out and walking out of the front door.
“The one thing that surprised me was that I always assumed your suitcase was empty when you walk out – but mine definitely wasn’t.”
Backlash at home
Back in the UK, Brett found it difficult to adapt to normal life, claiming he was subjected to “a lot of abuse”, which at times made it “challenging to go out in public”.
“There were a few bad situations at parties I went to and a lot of homophobic abuse against me,” he says.
“The say don’t read or engage with the negative stuff online, but it’s really hard to escape when it’s on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and everywhere else.
“Nothing prepares you for someone coming up to your face and calling you a c*** or a f*****. It’s really challenging, but now things got better.”
Brett went on to pass his PhD to become a doctor and has continued to model – including in the upcoming London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks.
His main goal is to produce a documentary that exposes exploitation in the fashion industry.
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Brett adds: “I want to show the bad conditions people suffer in Bangladesh, Indonesia and elsewhere in the world, how clothes are made, and how much waste there is.”
Love Island series eight starts on June 6.
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