Tactics, friendships and the ick: the ‘Love Island’ moments that had us shouting at our TVs this week

Casa Amor was the start of the real drama on this year’s Love Island, but there’s been a constant stream of it ever since. From teary goodbyes to conversations about friendship, “the ick” and whether people are as genuine as they pretend to be, this week has had us yelling at our TV screens on more occasions than one.

Tactics 

“This is honestly the biggest thing that’s happened in this villa. Yeah, easily,” – Tobias Aromolaran, 2021. 

Just as things seem to be going smoothly again, producers threw another spanner in the works, tasking each couple with the unenviable job of voting for who they think are the least compatible partners.  I say unenviable because it’s something I, myself, would not like to have had to do, especially given the fact that there’s no escaping the villa and those you voted for. 

Some islanders accepted the vote at face value, others took it more personally – and just as producers probably expected, Faye Winters was amongst those to have kicked off about the result. Controversial opinion though, I kind of see where she’s coming from. That’s not to say I agree with how she handled the situation nor with how she articulated herself, but I do think that there’s more to it than meets the eye. 

Obviously, people’s feelings were always going to be hurt – every contestant had to vote for someone so there was no way to avoid it – but it does feel as though some couples used the guise of “being honest” as a scapegoat. Everyone claims not to have voted based off of friendships, which makes us question whether tactics were involved. 

CHLOES HAVING THE TIME OF HER LIFE THERE KNOWING SHE DIDNT VOTE FOR FAYE AND TEDDY #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/4qG7dvHk1z

— wonton???? (@AmberPollux) August 17, 2021

You can definitely understand why Priya and Brett found themselves in the bottom… their favourite cheeses are different, hello? Liberty and Jake were an easy target given their rollercoaster week, and as one of the newest couples, Aaron and Mary were probably always going to get a few votes as well. But putting Teddy and Faye in the bottom did seem like a bit of a calculated decision and I can understand why it would make the duo question their friendships.

Disingenuous 

The word “genuine” has been a constant topic of conversation in the past few episodes, with many of the girls suggesting that Jake Cornish may not be as authentic as he pertains to be. If there’s one person you can count on to be outspoken in the villa though, it’s Faye and she was quick to voice her concerns to Lib on the matter – also speaking to Jake himself about whether his intentions are pure. You may wonder whether Faye has any right to be involved in another couple’s relationship and it’s definitely a valid question, but while her methods aren’t always stellar she does seem to act out of genuine concern for her friends. So, is she so wrong to expect the same in return? 

Millie, Liberty and Kaz were the three people that Faye turned to when in need of advice, and as she said in her confessional, she always asked them to be straight with her, even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Them voting for her and Teddy as “least compatible” did seem a little out of left field, mostly because none of them had ever discussed the matter directly with Faye.

There’s no denying that they’re polar opposites and in all honesty, most of us would probably have voted for them too, but I think the element of surprise is what hit Faye so hard here. Friends are supposed to have your back – that doesn’t necessarily mean not voting for you but it does mean giving you tough love when you need it most. Voting for Faye and Teddy isn’t the issue. Voting for Faye and Teddy having jumped in the pool to celebrate them getting back together without ever voicing any concerns kind of is though. 

Faye may actually have a point, why celebrate her and Teddy getting back together by jumping in the pool then say they’re incompatible #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/AeagBSsgPk

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— WandaNoble (@The1ThatWaddles) August 16, 2021

Jake may be playing up to the cameras, but this is a competition show lest you forget. I’m sure most contestants really are there to find love, but with the finish line nearing ever closer, it’s only natural that the prize money would be on their minds too and perhaps the girls are being more calculated as a result. It’s not friendship island after all. 

Friendzone

Which, speaking of, is exactly why Priya and Brett ultimately got the boot this week. Going with her gut instinct to choose Brett over Matthew when forced to make a decision at a recoupling earlier this week, the two didn’t end up gelling quite as well as Priya expected. 

Things started off well. Priya definitely fancied him and they had a lot to talk about. She even woke up one morning to tell the girls that “yeah, I like him”. But like turned to dislike very quickly and before long, it was clear that she was not into it at all. A realisation she, unfortunately, came to while midway through a dinner date with him. Admitting that she was “zoning out” of their conversation because she found him boring, Priya then said the four words that no single person ever wants to hear; “I have the ick.” 

The ick, as we all know, actually originated on Love Island back in 2017 courtesy of contestant Olivia Attwood. As per her description, “Once you’ve caught it, it takes over your body”. And usually, there’s no going back from it. It’s hard to nail down exactly what causes the ick or why it happens, but there’s really no rhyme or reason to it and anyone who’s experienced it before will tell you that it’s usually brought on by something otherwise completely harmless. For Priya, it was the fact that Brett didn’t like cheese. 

Watching the two finish out their date (Brett unawares the entire time) was painful to say the least, as was the subsequent conversation between them where Brett could be seen holding Priya’s hand while she did little to try and mask the look of distaste plastered across her face. In true ick fashion, literally everything Brett did seemed to irritate Priya (through no fault of his own I might add) and once those words are said aloud, it’s rare a time anyone manages to recover. 

Again, Priya didn’t handle the situation very well though and while it’s kind of awkward to tell someone that you’re not feeling a romantic spark anymore, she probably should have addressed it with him first before blabbing it to everyone else. That being said, the ick is something most of us can all relate to and my personal hell would be realising I have it on TV, while on holidays with said person. Safe to say I won’t be applying for Love Island any time soon.

Feature image from Lifted Entertainment