Love Island UK is ITV’s super popular reality dating show. It started in 2015 and has run for 10 seasons. Its exciting mix of romance, drama, and fun challenges attracts millions of viewers. Each season, a group of attractive young adults come together to find love, face various games and tasks, and deal with many dramatic moments.
The British reality TV show has many episodes, making it a big commitment to watch an entire series. Whether rewatching an old season or starting fresh as a new fan, our guide will help you pick the best Love Island UK seasons. This way, you’ll know which ones are worth your time.
Season-by-Season Recap: Key Highlights and Memorable Moments
Love Island UK has many exciting love stories, popular (and not-so-popular) contestants, and unforgettable arguments. Fans love to talk about which seasons they like best and which don’t. Here’s a recap of the Love Island UK seasons to help you decide which ones to watch.
Advertisement Season 1 (2015)
Like many reality shows, Love Island had a rough start with Season 1. Even though it started the show’s big success, Season 1 doesn’t hold up well because of its lower quality and some old-fashioned views about women from a few contestants.
However, Season 1 did have some good points, like lots of drama and two popular islanders, Jess Hayes and Hannah Elizabeth. But overall, the season wasn’t great because of its negativity and lower quality. None of the couples from Season 1 stayed together after the show, but early fans kept watching, hoping things would get better.
Winners: Jessica Hayes and Max Morley
Season 2 (2016)
Season 2 of Love Island is a favorite for many fans because it was packed with drama. The contestants got into fights, gossiped, and acted in ways that felt more real compared to some of the later seasons that seem too polished. The winners, Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey, had a sweet love story that led to marriage and a family.
This season also had some big moments: the first queer couple, Sophie Gradon and Katie Salmon, beauty queen Zara Holland lost her Miss Great Britain title, and Malia Arkian was kicked off the show for getting into a fight just hours after arriving. Season 2’s cast was definitely full of surprises and kept everyone watching.
Winners: Cara De la Hoyde and Nathan Massey
Season 3 (2017)
Season 3 of Love Island is loved by fans for its fun challenges, the introduction of Casa Amor, and the great chemistry between the contestants. Many cast members, like Kem Centinay and Olivia Attwood, stayed popular after the show and became TV presenters.
The season had unforgettable moments, like Kem, Chris Hughes, and Marcel Somerville’s “Little Bit Leave It” rap. Season 3 set the standard for future seasons and is one of the best. Even though they didn’t win, runner-ups Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Hewett got married and started a family.
Winners: Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies
Season 4 (2018)
Season 4 of Love Island UK is one of the most talked-about seasons, mainly because of Megan Barton Hanson and her on-and-off relationship with Wes Nelson. Megan’s dramatic personality and changing interests kept the show exciting and unpredictable.
This season also featured lots of drama and the most popular winning couple, Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham, who won with an impressive 79.66% of the public vote. Season 4 proved that Love Island was still hugely popular and even growing in its fourth year.
Winners: Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer
Season 5 (2019)
Many fans think Season 5 of Love Island UK is the best. It had a great cast, including popular couples like Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague, the cool Ovie Soko, and the fiery Maura Higgins. Amber Gill, who faced many romantic challenges, became the fan-favorite and winner.
With funny moments from narrator Iain Stirling and a perfect mix of drama and lighthearted fun, Season 5 has many memorable scenes. One standout moment was Amy Hart’s amazing takedown of Curtis Pritchard. Season 5 is often seen as the highlight of Love Island UK.
Winners: Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea
Season 6 (2020)
Season 6 of Love Island UK was the first winter season and the debut of host Laura Whitmore. Despite these new features, most fans found it quite ordinary. The season lacked intense drama, as the cast mostly got along and had minimal conflicts, which some viewers liked for a change, but others found boring.
However, the season did have some successful couples with strong chemistry, like winners Finn Tapp and Paige Turley, and runners-up Siânnise Fudge and Luke Trotman, which pleased fans who enjoy the romantic side of the show. Molly Smith and Callum Jones, who joined the show later as new contestants, started dating after the season ended, making fans happy, though they broke up after six months, leading to speculation among fans.
Winners: Paige Turley and Finn Tapp
Season 7 (2021)
Season 7 of Love Island had a strong cast but ended with a less exciting couple, Millie Court and Liam Reardon, winning over the more entertaining Toby Aromolaran and Chloe Burrows. The season also had a troubling moment when Faye Winter got into a heated argument with Teddy Soares, which needed better intervention from the producers to calm things down.
Although not the worst season, Season 7 was a bit of a letdown as the first summer after the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn’t find the right balance between drama and fun. The winners, Court and Reardon, stayed together after the show but broke up a year later.
Winners: Liam Reardon and Millie Court
Season 8 (2022)
Love Island UK Season 8 was memorable for its standout contestant, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, who, along with Davide Sanclimenti, won with an impressive 63.7% of the vote. Their dramatic relationship, from lovers to enemies and back again, was a big hit with viewers.
Overall, Season 8 is well-liked, but it has some downsides. There were issues like the mistreatment of contestant Tasha Ghouri by other islanders, and some parts of the show were not as interesting. Despite this, the season was a success for Cülcüloğlu and Sanclimenti, who even got their own travel series. Recently, Cülcüloğlu was seen in season 2 of The Traitors.
Winners: Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu and David Sanclimenti
Season 9 (2023)
Love Island UK 2023 is often seen as the least exciting. It suffered because there weren’t many interesting storylines, and airing two seasons in the same year may have been too much for audiences. However, people liked the winners, Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan, who were the first Casa Amor couple to win.
The season had some good points, like the popular host Maya Jama. But overall, it’s not as memorable as other seasons. The show felt a bit repetitive, with familiar challenges and not many surprises. Some viewers also felt that it was too scripted for a reality show
Winners: Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan.
Season 10 (2023)
Love Island UK Season 10 was a big hit with audiences. Fans often joked that “the producers are producing!” because the season was so entertaining. The cast was great, with each member bringing something unique, like the sweet winner Jess Harding, the funny Whitney Adebayo, and the mature but sharp-tongued Scott Van-Der-Sluis.
What set Season 10 apart was how conflicts were handled. Instead of lots of yelling, there were more thoughtful and heated discussions, which made the show more pleasant to watch. Although there were some slow parts in the middle of the season, overall it had great episodes and storylines, making it one of the best seasons.
Winners: Sammy Root and Jess Harding
Is Love Island UK returning in 2024?
Love Island is set to return for another summer series in 2024, starting on Monday, June 3rd. The news was shared on social media with a caption below,
Conclusion
Love Island UK is a popular reality dating show that attracts millions of viewers and has become a major hit with its audience. If you haven’t started yet, now’s a great time. With many episodes per season, it can be a big commitment, so we’ve created a recap guide to help you decide which Love Island UK seasons to watch first.
If you want to watch more series and reality shows other than Love Island UK on ITV, you can check out our guides on Love Island Australia, Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection, A Christmas Hero, The Masked Singer, Rhoc Season 17, and many more.