The series featured cameo appearances from singer Becky Hill, who appeared during a party in the villa performing songs including "Crazy What Love Can Do", as well as DJ Joel Corry, who performed during a VIP party. Alfie Boe also made an appearance to perform during a date. On 1 August 2022, the series was won by Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti with 63.7% of the final vote. Gemma Owen and Luca Bish finished as runners-up.[5][6]
The 'split or steal' element was cut from the eighth series finale for the first time in the show's history. With 'split or steal,' the winners are presented with two sealed envelopes, one that's empty and one that contains a £50k prize. In previous seasons, the person who received the money was asked if they wanted to 'steal' it or 'split' it with their partner. In series eight, the winning couple automatically shared the prize money. ITV2 did not officially comment as to why they did away with the 'split or steal' element.[7][8]
Production
During the final of the previous series on 23 August 2021, it was announced that the show would return for an eighth series the following year.[9][10][11] The series this time was filmed in a new villa in Mallorca, making it the first time since the third series the show has moved to a new location, excluding the winter series that was filmed in South Africa.[12][13][14] The first teaser trailer aired on 6 May 2022, a month before the show's launch with several more trailers being released in the following weeks, featuring cartoon animations and tag lines from the show.[15] It was also announced that the contestants would wear second-hand clothes for the first time, following the show's partnership with eBay, with bosses trying to aim for a "more eco-friendly production."[16][17][18]
The original Islanders for the eighth series were announced on 30 May 2022, one week before the series launch.[22][23][24] For the first time in the show's history, the series featured a returning contestant, with Adam Collard having previously appeared in the fourth series.[25]
For the first time in the show's history, the original couples were decided by the voting public. On 2 June, four days before the launch, a vote opened on the app for viewers to decide which boy each girl should couple up with.[86][87]
^Note 1 : Three days before the show's launch, voting opened for the public to decide the first couplings of the series. As the first bombshell, Davide was not eligible to be chosen in the public vote. Instead, he was able to steal a girl for himself on Day 2. He chose Gemma, leaving Liam single.
^Note 2 : On Day 8, new boy Jacques was able to couple up with one of the two single girls, Afia and Paige. He chose Paige.
^Note 3 : Original Islanders were only given the option to remain in their current couple, or re-couple with one of the new Islanders.
Weekly summary
The main events in the Love Island villa are summarised in the table below.
Week 1
Entrances
On Day 1, Amber, Andrew, Dami, Davide, Gemma, Ikenna, Indiyah, Liam, Luca, Paige and Tasha entered the villa.[88]
On Day 1, following a public vote to decide the first couples of the series, Amber was paired with Dami, Gemma coupled up with Liam, Indiyah was chosen to be with Ikenna, Paige with Luca, and Tasha was picked to couple up with Andrew.[90]
On Day 2, Davide, who entered after the coupling, had to steal one girl for himself. He chose Gemma, leaving Liam single.[91]
On Day 5, the islanders recoupled for the first time with the boys picking which girl they'd like to be with. Andrew and Tasha, Dami and Amber, and Ikenna and Indiyah all remained together, meanwhile Luca chose Gemma, and Davide coupled up with Ekin-Su. Afia and Paige stayed single.[92]
Challenges
On Day 2, the girls and the boys competed against each other in "Nothing to Declare", in which they had to guess which islander a fact was about. To make their guess they had to use a prop security baton on the islander and kiss them. The girls won the challenge.
Dates
On Day 3, Davide and Gemma left the villa to go on their first date, where they went lemonade making.
On Day 3, the public voted for who they wanted new girls Afia and Ekin-Su to go on dates with. They picked Liam to date both.
Exits
On Day 5, Liam decided to voluntarily leave the villa.[93]
Week 2
Entrances
On Day 7, Jacques entered the villa.
On Day 9, Jay and Remi entered the villa.
On Day 12, Danica entered the villa.
Coupling
On Day 8, Jacques was given the choice of the single girls, Afia and Paige to couple up with. He chose Paige, ultimately dumping Afia from the villa.
On Day 12, the islanders re-coupled, this time with the girls choosing. New girl Danica was first to pick, and chose to couple up with Luca. Meanwhile, Amber and Dami, Indiyah and Ikenna, Paige and Jacques, and Tasha and Andrew all remained together, whereas Ekin-Su picked Jay, and Gemma went with Davide. As Remi was the only single islander, he was dumped.
Challenges
On Day 9 the boys competed in the "Men-chanics" challenge. They had to bicep curl some tires before climbing through tyres carrying their couple and doing some squats and finally clear a car. The girls chose Dami as the winner.
On Day 12, the girls competed in "Sex Sea". During the challenge, new girl Danica made her entrance. The girls had to spin around on a giant clam before sliding into a pool to then perform a sexy dance for the boy of their choice. They then had to wheel their boy along a "Catch of the Day" trolley before continuing the dance on a bed. The boys voted Tasha as the "Sexiest Girl".
Dates
On Day 7, new boy Jacques took single islanders Afia and Paige on dates.
On Day 8, Amber and Dami went to play tennis for their first date.
On Day 10, new Islanders Jay and Remi were asked to choose three other islanders to take on dates with each of them preparing a starter, a main course and a dessert. Jay chose Amber, Ekin-Su and Tasha whilst Remi picked Indiyah, Paige and Ekin-Su.
Exits
On Day 8, following Jacques decision to couple up with Paige, Afia was left single and dumped.
On Day 12, Remi was dumped from the island after failing to couple up.
Week 3
Entrances
On Day 17, Antigoni and Charlie entered the villa.
Coupling
On Day 18, the islanders re-coupled, this time with the boys choosing. Luca was first to pick, and chose to couple up with Gemma. Meanwhile, Andrew and Tasha remained together, Jay picked Paige, Dami picked Indiyah, Charlie picked Ekin-Su, and Davide went with Antigoni. With Danica being the only remaining islander, Jacques coupled up with her.
Challenges
On Day 15, the couples took part in "Lip Service" where the boys had to transfer cocktail ingredients to their partner using their mouths whilst making their way across a slippery dancefloor. As Danica and Luca filled their cocktail glass the quickest, they were the winners of the challenge.
Dates
On Day 14, Danica and Luca left the villa to go on a date.
On Day 17, new girl Antigoni was able to choose three boys to take on dates. She picked Dami, Davide and Jay.
On Day 18, new boy Charlie chose two girls to go on a date in the hideaway terrace hot tub. He picked Ekin-Su and Tasha.
On Day 19, Dami and Indiyah went on their first date.
Exits
On Day 15, after receiving the fewest public votes, Amber and Ikenna were dumped from the island.
Week 4
Entrances
On Day 26, Billy, Deji, George, Jack, Josh and Samuel entered Casa Amor.
Coupling
On Day 23, the islanders re-coupled, this time with the girls choosing which boy they'd like to couple up with. Andrew and Tasha, Dami and Indiyah, and Gemma and Luca all remained together, whilst Paige got back with Jacques, Ekin-Su picked Davide again, Danica picked Jay, and Antigoni chose Charlie.
Challenges
On Day 22, the boys and girls went head-to-head to raise their opposing team's heart rate. At the end of the game they found out who raised their heart rate the most.
Dates
On Day 24, all of the couples had brunch dates in the garden.
On Day 25, Ekin-Su and Davide left the villa to go on a date.
Exits
On Day 25, after receiving the fewest public votes, Antigoni, Danica and Tasha, and Andrew, Charlie and Jay were in danger of being dumped. The remaining Islanders had to choose one boy and one girl to dump from the island. The boys chose Antigoni, whilst the girls chose Charlie.
Week 5
Entrances
On Day 27, Cheyanne, Chyna, Coco, Jazmine, Mollie and Summer entered the villa as part of Casa Amor.
Coupling
On Day 31, the original Islanders were told that they would be re-coupling. They were only given the option to remain in their current couple or to choose one of the new Islanders. However, as the boys and the girls were living in separate villas, they were not aware of what the other one chose. If one decided to re-couple and the other did not, then they would be single but still remain on the island. If both re-coupled then they would both remain in the villa with their new partner, and any remaining single new islanders would be dumped. Davide and Ekin-Su, Jacques and Paige, and Luca and Gemma remained together, whilst Andrew picked Coco, Dami chose Summer, Danica opted with Josh, Indiyah coupled up with Deji, Jay went with Chyna, and Tasha chose Billy.
Challenges
On Day 27, the Main Villa and Casa Amor competed in "Raunchy Races" where they had to complete a certain task quicker than the other villa. The game was won by Casa Amor, therefore they won a party for that evening.
Exits
On Day 31, new islanders Cheyanne, George, Jack, Jazmine, Mollie and Samuel were dumped from the island after failing to couple up.
Week 6
Entrances
On Day 36, Adam entered the villa.
Coupling
On Day 38, the islanders recoupled. This time it was the boys choosing which girl they'd like to be coupled up with. Davide and Ekin-Su, and Luca and Gemma remained together, whilst Andrew and Tasha, and Dami and Indiyah reunited. Adam chose Paige, Billy picked Danica, Deji coupled up with Coco, and Josh went with Summer.
Challenges
On Day 40, the Islanders took part in "Mad Movies" in a Boys vs Girls pub quiz challenge where they had to answer sex related questions. The team who answered correctly were able to select a movie from the list which featured a clip of another Islander.
Dates
On Day 37, new boy Adam was able to choose three girls to date on the Hideaway terrace. He chose Summer, Danica and Paige.
On Day 38, Gemma and Luca left the villa to go on their first date.
Exits
On Day 35, after receiving the fewest public votes, Dami and Summer, and Jay and Chyna were at risk of being dumped. It was then down to the remaining islanders to decide which couple to dump. They chose Jay and Chyna.
On Day 37, Jacques decided to voluntarily leave the villa.[94]
On Day 39, after receiving the fewest public votes, Coco and Josh were dumped from the island.
Week 7
Entrances
On Day 45, Jamie, Lacey, Nathalia and Reece entered the villa.
Coupling
On Day 47, the islanders recoupled. This time it was the girls choosing which boy they'd like to be coupled up with. Adam and Paige, Andrew and Tasha, Dami and Indiyah, Davide and Ekin-Su, and Luca and Gemma all remained together. Danica picked Jamie, Lacey chose Deji, and Nathalia coupled up with Reece.
Challenges
On Day 42, the islanders took part in "Suck and Blow", where they had to pass around a card to each other using their mouths. Any islander who dropped the card then had to complete a dare.
On Day 43, the islanders competed in the "Snog, Marry, Pie" challenge where each islander had to snog, marry and pie an islander of the opposite gender.
On Day 47, the boys took part in "You've Got Male" where they went round a course with postage themed obstacles. The girls chose Dami as the winner.
Dates
On Day 46, the four new islanders were able to pick one islander each to take on dates. Jamie picked Danica, Lacey went with Deji, Nathalia dated Adam, and Recce chose Ekin-Su.
Exits
On Day 44, after receiving the fewest public votes, Billy and Dami, and Danica and Summer were in danger of being dumped. The remaining Islanders had to choose one boy and one girl to dump from the island. The boys chose Summer, whilst the girls chose Billy.
Week 8
Challenges
On Day 51, the girls took part in "Mile High" where they went took part in a number of flight themed challenges.
On Day 52, the couples were challenged with becoming parents and looking after a doll. The challenge was won by Dami and Indiyah.
Dates
On Day 53, Adam and Paige, Dami and Indiyah, and Davide and Ekin-Su went on their final dates.
On Day 54, Andrew and Tasha, and Luca and Gemma went on their final dates.
Exits
On Day 49, having received the fewest public votes for most compatible couple, Deji and Lacey, and Reece and Nathalia were dumped from the island.
On Day 51, after receiving the fewest public votes, Danica and Jamie were dumped from the island.
Week 9
Exits
On Day 56, following the islanders voted for the two least compatible couples, Adam and Paige, Andrew and Tasha, Davide and Ekin-Su, and Luca and Gemma, who all received votes went head-to-head with each other in a public vote to save. It was then revealed that having received the fewest public votes, Adam and Paige had been dumped.
On Day 58, Andrew and Tasha finished in fourth place and Dami and Indiyah finished third. Davide and Ekin-Su were then voted the winners, leaving Luca and Gemma as runners-up.
Ratings
Official ratings are taken from BARB.[95] Because the Saturday episodes are "Unseen Bits" episodes rather than nightly highlights, these are not included in the overall averages. Viewing figures are consolidated 7-day viewing figures with pre-broadcast viewing and viewing on tablets, PCs and smartphones included.
