Love Island shows how our country heals

The first really juicy series in years feels like a natural phenomenon

July 3, 2024, 5:45 p.m.(Updated 17:46)

If you measure the temperature in Britain this summer, our constitutionally grumpy country is unrecognisable – practically Happy. I know I am. And since I am immune to the European fever and am too engrossed in the election to relax about it, my good mood is due to one thing: Love Island.

Whether a particular series of Love Island Whether it’s “good” or not is as vague as judging a party. You can manage as many devious challenges in detail as you like, but really it comes down to mood, chemistry, and a series of happy (or unfortunate) coincidences.

While I do of course give credit to the producers – casting reality TV veteran Joey Essex as one of the islanders was a stroke of genius, for example – this year’s season, the first truly exciting like a natural phenomenon. We don’t have to ask ourselves why, we can just sit back and enjoy.

OK, let’s do a bit of puzzling – if only to revel in the refreshing watchability of this series, after several lackluster reruns in a row. From Marmite characters – think straight-talking Jess (brave or bully?) or hotheaded 21-year-old Ciaran who drops the L-bomb after just a few weeks (adorable or hopelessly naive?) – to telenovela-level betrayal in Casa Amor (Ayo, I’m looking at you), the island of 2024 is full of the messy, can’t-look-away drama that Love Island primarily a British institution.

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I also like the producers’ new trick of throwing people into the villa who the islanders have something in common with – like throwing grenades of pre-packaged, horny resentment into a pit full of Insta-worthy lions.

Joey’s switch from poor Samantha to his ex Grace when she arrived made for one of the most agonizing (read: gripping) storylines of the season, only topped when he dumped her for new arrival Jessy about 30 seconds later. In the meantime, it remains to be seen whether Ciaran can be won over by familiar face Ellie in Casa Amor.

As you’ve probably noticed, I love the show – but no episode would be half as entertaining without the chatter afterwards. Just as my friend gets just as excited about the post-game analysis over a beer as he does at the football game itself, Love Island is a social activity that provides us with topics of conversation ranging from trivial to profound.

Historically, the show has brought all sorts of issues, from slut-shaming and body image to gaslighting and coercive control, into the national consciousness, raising important attention in the process.

On a smaller scale, the show offers the opportunity to connect not just with our friends, but with strangers at the bus stop or the hairdresser. We are all the cast, playing out our own dramas. Will Joey and Jessy make it to the end – what about my friend and her husband? Is Sean in the villa for the right reasons – or is every relationship business to some extent? How do people recover from heartbreak and betrayal, if they even can? I ask for a friend.

It’s easy to be snooty Love Island (especially now that the cast is mostly made up of micro-influencers) – but at its best, the show deals with humanity’s most universal experiences and eternal instincts. Betrayal, longing, sex, shame; when it trills, Love Island pushes the same buttons in my brain as sitting across from a friend with a glass of wine while she spills the best gossip you’ve ever heard. If you’re immune to that thrill, I feel sorry for you, but I’m too busy tearing my hair out over whether Ayo should stay with Mimii or defect to Jess S.

But although it is endlessly enjoyable to analyse the details, Love IslandThe power of is greater than any single storyline. Like the Euros (yawn) and the general election (yuck!), a season worth watching gives the nation a common talking point – something that’s becoming increasingly scarce in the age of on-demand streaming.

The fact that in 2024 a large part of the country would know what I mean when I say, “Imagine if Mimii brought Lionel back!” is part of Love Island‘s frivolous, convivial fun. (I’m sure something about Harry Kane would create a similar buzz, but I just can’t stand it. As for the choice, I’m down to the nail bed and just want it to be over.)

Finally: Love Island saved society from falling apart. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. With any luck, a new government can take over the baton on Friday. This summer, hope and love are in the air – both unusual, but all the more delicious.