I’ve shared my thoughts on Love Island many times over the years, and, more often than not, they’ve been far from complimentary. The infamous reality TV show has well-documented issues, including the treatment of contestants (both on the show and by the public), concerns over mental health, troubling behaviours like gaslighting and body-shaming, and its perpetuation of heteronormativity and unrealistic beauty standards. In 2022, the charity Refuge tweeted: “The double standards, gaslighting, and coercive control being displayed by the men in the villa is hugely problematic.”
Currently, the second All Stars series is airing, bringing back iconic contestants such as Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Catherine Agbaje, Curtis Pritchard, Luca Bish, Scott Thomas, Gabby Allen, and Ronnie Vint. This season has been particularly entertaining, with wild moments (heart rate challenge, anyone?) and plenty of dramatic switch-ups. Just last night, Luca kissed bombshell Samie after telling Grace a few days earlier, “You have all of me.” It’s messy and dramatic – in other words, nothing new.
What is new, however, is a subtle shift in how vulnerable the male contestants are willing to be. Last week, Scott Thomas made the decision to quit the villa, citing struggles in finding a “genuine connection.” On Sunday night, Scott, 36, opened up about his choice, which felt strikingly honest compared to the typical game-playing seen on Love Island. Having first appeared on series 2, where he coupled up with Kady McDermott, Scott returned to the villa with a more mature outlook. After coupling up with India and Tina but failing to find a deeper bond, he addressed the group and announced his departure. “I don’t want this to be sad because I’ve had the best time ever, but I’ve made the decision to leave, and I think it’s the right time. I don’t want everyone to be sad; I’m in a good place about it,” he told the villa.
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Before making the announcement, Scott confided in his friend Luca, which led to an emotional scene between the two. Both men were in tears as Luca asked Scott, “Have you thought about it properly?” Scott explained, “I can’t force connections… I’ve got to be true to myself, bro.” Luca, emotional, replied, “Out of everyone here, I trust you the most.” It was a touching moment, showcasing friendship, vulnerability, and a surprising level of maturity, especially considering the pair had fallen out just a few nights prior.
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Speaking on Love Island’s The Morning After podcast, Scott reflected on their friendship: “I love Luca. I’ve got a soft spot for him. He is like a little brother, but yeah, it was just such a challenging relationship because we didn’t know each other’s boundaries. As brothers, you know each other’s boundaries. So I think the Vegas night kind of taught us both a lesson on where to go with each other, and we just kind of squashed it. But I’ve got so much love for him.”
Luca, in particular, has arguably been the most vulnerable male contestant this season. His emotional moments with Scott were accompanied by a tearful admission to the group, saying, “I just don’t know what I’m doing here.” This vulnerability is a stark contrast to his appearance on season 8, where his behaviour was widely criticised. Coupled up with Gemma Owen, then 21, his “misogynistic” conduct raised alarms with fans and organisations, including Women’s Aid. After angrily reacting to Gemma “flirting” with Billy Brown, viewers lodged 2,481 complaints with Ofcom, accusing him of gaslighting during a particularly uncomfortable argument.
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Since then, Luca seems to be making efforts to reflect on and amend his past behaviour. Speaking to MailOnline, he said, “I watched it back. I think my mum forced me to. Obviously, there’s some great moments and things I really laughed about, and obviously not so good.” He admitted he “couldn’t disagree” with the negative backlash, adding: “I learnt lessons. It’s the lessons we learn from that make us who we are today… I definitely look back and think, ‘What a k**b,’ but that’s why I’m coming on again. Luckily, I got asked to do it another time and get the second chance to kind of show you guys the more real me.”
Luca apologised three years ago for his behaviour on the show, saying: “With my controlling behaviour, it took me watching it back to realise what I had done.” Whether his transformation is entirely genuine is difficult to confirm, but from my perspective, he does seem to be making an effort to better himself. If Love Island leaned into more moments like these – where men display vulnerability and self-awareness in the same way women often do on the show – it could set a healthier, more positive example for the young boys watching. Vulnerability is, after all, a strength.
