Love Island Season 12 Episode 1 Review
Love Island is back!
I was excited for this series to start for months!
As soon as the cast lineup was announced, I was impressed.
We have a diverse mix of contestants, including two Islanders with Italian heritage, two Black contestants, and one Chinese woman who has suffered burns on her skin.
It had been announced weeks before that the reality show would include a number of shocking twists, so the anticipation was through the roof.
The first few minutes of the show got off to its usual introductions, and on cue, presenter Maya Jama cruised in to give the female Islanders their first task.
And there was definitely a huge game-changer, as the girls weren’t basing their selections of the boys on their appearance, but something else entirely!
There were a few awkward moments when they came face to face, but that was expected and made it all the more fun.
The girls then started to get to know the boys a bit better.
It was great seeing some of the more mature contestants open up about their experiences and what they want to do in terms of dating.
It was interesting to see the conversation between Sophie and Harry, particularly after Sophie had suffered from an accident that caused fire to burn her skin.
The 29-year-old contestant opened up about the effects it had on her self-confidence, saying: “I’ve only had one boyfriend. When I was 22, I was in a fire accident.
“It made me the woman that I am. It made me learn so much about life and interactions with people and how to be better.”
Things took a bit of a turn towards the end of the episode as some of the couples started to face challenges.
While some initially felt a spark with their partners, others found that the chemistry just wasn’t there.
Meanwhile, a few couples were beginning to vibe after their first few chats.
But just when we thought things couldn’t get more dramatic, a new bombshell from the US arrived, ready to shake things up even further.
Toni was then given the power to decide which guy she wanted to steal for herself, leaving everyone in utter shock as jaws dropped across the villa.
Overall, a very good episode.
Tonight’s reaction from fans
Some weren’t so pleased that there was an American contestant
“If we wanted Americans we would watch love island USA… #loveisland,” a viewer wrote on X.
Fans were pleased with the new format.
“Oh I love this love island producers, I hate when the girls are standing at the end unpicked. This is way better #loveisland”
“See this is a fun concept for the first couple up. How did it take them 12 seasons to come up with this? #loveisland.”
Racism row
“first episode and only the two black people have been disrespected. #loveisland #loveislanduk”
“love island uk could never cast two black women in the orginal line up like the US😭 #loveisland”
“Casting one black girl and casting 99.9% of yt guys that have white gyals as their types!!!love island uk is never beating the allegations #loveisland”
“No sorry but I’m still gobsmacked. That was actually a humiliation ritual for black people 😭😭😭😭😭 #LoveIsland”
Hilarious/relatable comments
“Me watching Love Island despite saying I’m never gonna watch it again 8 consecutive years in a row #loveisland.”
“me reactivating my twitter when love island/big brother comes back on #loveisland”
“Ben is prime example that you can have the looks but if you have a 💩 personality you go from a 10 to a 1.5 real quick #loveisland”
“you’re not really my type” yeah you made that pretty clear when you disrespected her in front of everyone. the auDACITY OF THIS MAN #loveislanduk #loveisland.”
“I say I’m not coming back next year and then I find myself sat infront of the TV at 9 every year #LoveIsland.”
Comment down below for your thoughts on the latest Love Island episode!