IT was once TV’s guaranteed golden ticket to a lucrative life with endless fashion and media opportunities.
But after 11 years of glamorous singletons vying for love in luxury Majorcan and South African villas, the well is running a little drier, and competition for what’s left is fiercer than ever.
Love Island’s latest cast could find it hard to make a career out of the villa once the show ends Credit: ITV
Shakira Khan, Toni Laites and Yasmin Pettet are last year’s breakout stars Credit: Instagram
One Love Island All Star, who wishes to remain anonymous, told us of their struggle after the show, revealing offers from brands were taken away as quickly as they were put on the table.
“After getting a stint on All Stars I thought finally I was going to see some proper work coming in,” said the well-known Islander.
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“I had 11 brand deals on the table when I came out the villa, and then nothing happened.
“They all dropped off grid. Heartbreaking after months of effort from everyone involved.
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Molly-Mae is arguably the most successful Love Islander ever Credit: Getty
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“I am working in my previous job and still doing bits which I love — and most of the guys I am still mates with are the same. Unless you win there is very little out there.”
Last year’s Love Island power trio of Shakira Khan, Toni Laites and Yasmin Pettet are exceptions to the rule, having landed high-end mag shoots and the coveted hosting job for spin-off show The Debrief.
While those three enjoy continued success, the majority of their peers have faded into obscurity.
It remains to be seen who, if any, of the current series will enjoy breakout success, but it seems unlikely any will mirror the mainstream staying power of islanders from years gone by such as Maura Higgins, Olivia Attwood, Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury, Alex and Olivia Bowen, and Amber Davies, all of who have earned multi-million pound fortunes.
Amber Davies has become a West End staple since leaving the villa Credit: Getty
Zara McDermott has presented a number of hard-hitting documentaries Credit: Getty
That’s not a slight on the characters in the villa, rather an indication of the ever-evolving media landscape that only the most savvy and committed can emerge from.
An industry insider tells us: “When we take a look at the big hitters such as Molly-Mae, Olivia Attwood and so on, their careers were formed up to a decade ago while ITV was still the most watched commissioner in the UK, and Love Island was a nationwide phenomenon that even hooked in parents and grandparents.
“Fast forward to 2026 and newspaper circulation is down, magazines sit on shelves and TV ads are not being watched — so it’s becoming much harder for brands to cut-through in the traditional marketing landscape.
“Social media became the only truly reliable form of talent influencer cut-through left, but even that has been diluted by the tsunami of wannabe influencers and free content.
“While streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video dominating with younger viewers, has further weakened the power of television, leaving the concept of reality TV celebrity in the doldrums.”
Love Island: All Stars has been an anomaly in recent years. Established villa stars receive a £500-a-day appearance fee, way beyond the £375-a-week sum given to their greener counterparts.
And if they’re particularly lucky, like Casey O’Gorman and Scott van der Sluis, there is seemingly no limit to how many times they can return.
Ironically, chasing fame can leave young hopefuls out of pocket as they burn through cash on outfits and travel to be seen at the latest high-profile events.
Once upon a time, hosts would go all out to dress celebs, move them around in style and even pay for their presence.
But now the power balance has shifted and it’s the celebs who are dipping into their pockets to be linked with certain venues or brands.
The source continues: “Unless you are already an established figure from the show and have seen huge success and growth of your personal brand over the years, it is not enough to simply show up on Love Island and get rich and famous.
“If anything, contestants tend to end up incredibly skint and struggling to make ends meet as struggling brands request more and more content for ‘free’.
“The soaring cost-of-living has had a massive impact on brands across the UK and budgets for PR and Marketing get cut first, as they are considered ‘non-essential’.
“Leaving only big-hitter budgets left on the table for the large ambassador- style campaigns — and brands will only invest in talent who can clearly showcase their return on investment through enormous followings and previous brand deals that saw uplift during or after large campaigns.
“The golden age of celebrity seems to be over.”
That golden era was between 2017 and 2019 when a huge 6million people tuned into the Love Island final.
Since then the drop-off has been stark, and the current series is seeing around 600,000 people tuning in to watch the show when it airs on ITV2.
Admittedly, viewing habits have changed and catch-up viewers will significantly boost that number.
The sentiments of our insider are echoed by those with personal experience of the show and the circus that follows afterwards.
Luca Bish’s sister Claudia has worked as a talent agent for 13 years and has spoken about building an enduring career after Love Island.
In her opinion, only the most calculated have a shot at longevity, while others will be consumed by the initial flurry of offers that only increase the speed with which their newfound stardom burns out.
Speaking on TikTok, she said: “Everyone thinks getting on a show like that is the hard part, it is not.
“The hardest part is when you come off TV. For a minute, you will leave the villa, everything will feel like it’s worked out. Your engagement will be very high, you’ll have all these brands reaching out, you’ll be getting invited to every single thing.
“But do not blur the lines, that is not success, that is momentum. There isn’t as much money in these types of things as you think there is.”
She continues: “If you want longevity and money in your bank you have to move very differently the second you come off it .
“The people who stay relevant have got intentional very quickly.
“The one that will thrive from this season will be in that holding space now deciding what space they want to be in, what they want to be known for and what actually feels like them long term, and then they will have to double down on that as soon as they exit the villa.
“Not all money is good money. The fastest way to kill your longevity is to cash in on every single offer that comes your way as soon as you come out.
“My advice: slow down, be selective, think long-term and go into a show like that knowing what you stand for and who you actually are.”
Claudia added that without the right balance of branding and marketing, wannabe influencers are destined to fail.
It’s never been so crucial to tap into the cultural zeitgeist as a content creator. Even the most leftfield accounts can thrive if they connect with what’s hot right now.
Golden Kings Potatoes’ talking spud ‘Kingsley’ is a case in point, racking up a million views on TikTok by playfully riffing off the Kardashians and Steven Bartlett’s Diary of an Influencer podcast.
Meanwhile, one islander who has managed to defy the odds and emerge with mainstream TV gigs is Shakira Khan.
Not only has she maintained a healthy relationship with her villa partner Harry Cooksley, but she bagged herself a place on ITV gameshow The Box and is now hosting daily show The Debrief, analysing the goings- on in the villa.
She fully embraced the playbook mentioned by Claudia and had a gameplan in place before stepping foot in the villa.
Shakira set herself a target of 500,000 Instagram followers by the time she rejoined the real world, and her strategy was to wow viewers with her bold fashion choices.
Speaking on the Managed podcast, Shakira said: “Since they’ve stopped allowing people to have their socials ran, islanders don’t come off with that many followers which can translate badly for when you come off and want to have a career.
“I knew if I didn’t want to go back to my job and wanted to have a career in influencing I had to hit 500k for it to be profitable.”
She went on: “I had to market myself while I was in there. I had to have a sick fits everywhere. People are going to remember what you’re wearing in that clip.”
If this year’s cohort are to make it they could certainly do worse than following Shakira’s example.
