02 November 2023 , 10:17
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Love Island Games has seen some of its stars quit before it even started, after a 'chaotic' quarantine process followed by uncertainty over their participation in the show. The ex-Islanders were reportedly told they were "not guaranteed airtime" on the ITV2 spin-off, despite self-isolating for weeks on end.
Hosted by Maya Jama and narrated by Iain Sterling, the Love Island Games was filmed in Fiji and launched in the US on 1 November. It features former Love Island stars from the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany and Sweden all competing for a $100,000 prize. Contestants are faced with both team and couple challenges, while navigating dating, eliminations, recoupling and shocking twists.
UK representatives include Curtis Pritchard, Megan Barton-Hanson, Jack Fowler, Georgia Steel, Liberty Poole, Mike Boateng, Eyal Booker, Toby Aromolaran, and Scott van-der-Sluis.
However, some Islanders quit before filming even began due to the "chaotic" quarantining process. Contestants had to quarantine for around "two to three weeks", but this didn't guarantee them airtime.
The Love Island Games were filmed in Fiji (Peacock)One Love Island Games star described the process as "f**king hell". Another said they'd never experienced anything "more organised and chaotic." Contestants were also told that filming wouldn't start for several weeks after quarantining, and participation didn't guarantee inclusion on the show. Several Islanders reportedly decided to quit the spin-off show and return home, with one contestant saying it wasn't worth "waiting around for weeks on weeks for a bit of airtime," according to SoDramatic!
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One Islander admitted that, although the accommodation was pleasant, they were monitored 24/7 and could only leave under supervision. "The rooms were nice," they said. "However, we just weren't allowed to leave. They'd take you out once a day for a walk, swim or gym, that's it. Some will still be in the hotels waiting and would have been there for more than three weeks, it's pretty f***ed."
Three Australian contestants rumoured to be participating were not included in the official announcement, sparking rumours that they'd decided to drop out. The names of the Aussie Islanders were leaked to SoDramatic! before the final list of contestants was revealed. One male Islander rumoured to be participating was allegedly "begged" by producers to sign up, but after arriving in Fiji and being informed he was not a "starting contestant", he chose to return home.
"He had already done a week of quarantine and didn't want to sit in a hotel room for another 2-3 weeks locked away for a week or two of TV airtime when his brother is at home managing both of their workload for the business. He's not that desperate for TV," a source said. One person who turned down the chance to appear on Love Island Games was Kady McDermott, who told told Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks on their Staying Relevant podcast, "I’ve had enough, I’m retired for the year. I’ll leave that one."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]