Molly and Mitchel have stayed together in the first recoupling (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
Summer is here and that can only mean one thing – Love Island is back.
And the villa has already been rocked with plenty of shock revelations and dramatic moments – not to mention four islanders making their exit from the villa already.
The first couple of weeks have seen Zachariah land in trouble for kissing Molly in front of Catherine, Jess and Ella already sparking Ofcom complaints and Charlotte Sumner getting far too many unnecessarily rude comments about her age.
We’re sure there will be plenty more surprises in store with recouplings, eliminations, and the infamous Casa Amor.
Wondering who the couples are now that Love Island is officially back? We’ve got you covered.
All the couples from Love Island 2023
LAUNCH EPISODE
Ruchee Gurung and Mehdi Edno
Communications manager Mehdi seemed thrilled to be paired up with beautician Ruchee following the public vote.
It seemed like everything was going swimmingly for Ruchee and Medhi (Picture: ITV)
The pair were all smiles when their coupling was announced, as he said to her: ‘Very cute, ooh la la!’
Before entering the Villa, Medhi said he was looking for love after a busy few years in his personal life, and detailed what he wanted to find in a partner.
‘Looks are important but they aren’t everything, a good sense of humour and someone who is outgoing and up for an adventure is what I’m looking for,’ he said.
Ruchee seemed to share the sentiment, describing herself as a ‘relationship girl’ before appearing on the show and saying her main qualities were that she is ‘really caring,’ ‘loyal,’ and loves doing ‘nice things for the people that are special to [her].’
However later, she decided there wasn’t much of a spark and stepped forward to leave her couple.
Molly Marsh and Mitchel Taylor
Musical theatre star Molly and gas engineer Mitchel seemed happy to be paired together.
Could Molly and Mitchel be a perfect match? (Picture: ITV)
However, there could be trouble afoot as Jess Harding has described 26-year-old hunk Mitchel as her perfect match.
Molly is hoping to settle down following her time in the Villa, describing herself as ‘quite old-fashioned.’
She told ITV before the show: ‘I don’t go out and party and I don’t use dating apps, I’m actually quite old-fashioned, so there’s no better way to meet someone than by going into a Villa in the sun with the potential ‘one’ in there.
‘I think it’s ideal timing and the perfect way to find someone.’
And it seems Mitchel could be the ‘perfect gentleman’ for her after he described his perfect date.
‘I thrive on being a gentleman. I’ll shower you with flowers, I’ll take you on dates, I’ll fill your bedside drawer with your favourite sweets and chocolate. I’ve been single, I’ve had my fun and now I want to settle down,’ he said.
Jess Harding and George Fensom
It was immediately apparent that aesthetics practitioner Jess and business development executive George were not a perfect match.
Will Jess and George last? (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
On their coupling, George appeared to stutter when asked if Jess was his ideal match.
And later on in the first episode, Jess stepped forward to confirm she wanted to leave her couple after realising they were not destined to be.
Jess believes she has a lot of great qualities that make her the perfect match for someone, saying she has a ‘heart of gold.’
‘Firstly I think I’ve got quite a big personality and I’ve got a heart of gold. I can stand up for myself if I need to. I’m honest, and I love, love. I’m also a really good girlfriend,’ she said.
Meanwhile, George described what he wanted in the perfect match with it being important to him that they have lots of ‘banter.’
‘I prefer a girl who is naturally good looking, and someone who has even more banter than me- although I don’t believe that’s physically possible,’ he said.
Ella Thomas and Tyrique Hyde
Model Ella and semi-professional footballer Tyrique seem like a match made in heaven – although they have already been through one very uncomfortable situation.
The pair shared a very awkward moment on their coupling (Picture: ITV)
After sharing a slightly awkward hug and kiss, Ella asked Tyrique: ‘Do you remember we’ve met before?’
‘When?’, he asked, before she laughed and revealed it was not that long ago.
Although after spending some time together, Tyrique did eventually clock onto when the pair met after Ella said she was blonde at the time when they met at a nightclub in Mayfair.
Ella believes that she is the ‘whole package’ when it comes to finding a partner, telling ITV: ‘I’d let the boys know that I’m wifey material so don’t play with me!’
And it seems Tyrique is equally as upfront when it comes to going after what he wants.
He said: ‘I’ll bring vibes, confidence, good energy, and honesty. I don’t sit on the fence, if I have an opinion I will speak up. I’m also not afraid to go after what I want.
Catherine Agbaje and André Furtado
Estate agent Catherine insisted she was very happy with being partnered with business owner André.
This coupling has caused controversy among viewers (Picture: ITV)
When tasked with kissing the boy that caught her eye the most, she locked lips with both André and Tyrique.
However, this coupling has caused controversy among viewers after many slammed viewers for pairing two Black contestants again.
Last summer Love Island also featured an initial public vote that riled viewers after the four Black contestants were all put together, branding it ‘segregation’.
Catherine describes herself as ‘fun and flirty,’ adding that she wants someone who is a ‘fun and loving character.’
‘They know I have so much love to give. I’m always smiling, I’m always happy, I’m always laughing. You’ll always see me with a smile on my face,’ she added.
Tyrique could be her ideal match, then, as he wears his heart on his sleeve and believes he ‘falls too quickly.’
‘I would say I fall too quickly to be honest. When I look at beautiful ladies, before I’ve said hello to them I’ve already fallen in love. I’m already planning the wedding,’ he said.
FIRST BOMBSHELL CHOICE
Zachariah Noble and Catherine Agbaje
Bombshell Zachariah made a shock entrance in the first episode – and moments before he did, host Maja Jama threw down a dare for the girls – if they weren’t happy with their partners they could step forwards.
Both Ruchee and Jess took the dare, and when the 25-year-old fitness trainer and basketball player from London unexpectedly walked in, both looked impressed.
Zach describes himself as someone who ‘believes in love at first sight – I think that you can sense people’s energies as soon as you meet them’ and adores his cat, Frank.
Zach was given 24 hours to get to know everyone before making his choice, and after pulling pretty much everyone for a chat, he chose his clear favourite, Catherine – who the public had paired with André.
He said: ‘I’ve chosen this girl because the conversations we’ve had have felt very easy, very natural, and she’s also a very beautiful person.’
Catherine – who had already admitted in the beach hut that her head was possibly turning for Zach – looked thrilled, but André was clearly gutted – and left single and vulnerable to eviction.
FIRST RECOUPLING
Ruchee Gurung and Andre Furtado
The first new couple from the recoupling came courtesy of Ruchee, whoswapped Medhi – her partner from the series launch – for Andre Furtado.
Ruchee picked Andre in the first recoupling (PIcture: ITV)
‘I’d like to couple up with this boy because I feel we’re on the same kind of vibe,’ she explained.
‘I’ve got to know him in the first few days and it’s been really nice.
‘He has surprised me because I felt like he was a bit young for me, but I feel he’s really mature for his age.
‘There’s just more that I want to get to know and I’m excited for our journey together.
Jess Harding and Sammy Root
Jess has been coupled up with George Fensom in the initial public vote – but after failing to feel a romantic attraction towards him she instead opted to recouple with new arrival Sammy.
Jess is hoping for sparks to fly with newcomer Sammy Root (PIcture: Rex Shutterstock)
‘I’d like to couple up with this boy because in the last 24 hours I’ve felt a couple of butterflies in my tummy, I haven’t had that feeling the whole week,’ she said.
‘I’m really attracted to this person, I’d like to know more about him.
‘I’d like to explore something which I haven’t explored in a romantic level with any of the other boys in here.
Whitney Adebayo and Mehdi Edno
Single bombshell Whitney opted to couple up with Mehdi Edno.’I’d like to couple up with this boy because he’s easy on the eyes and he brings a vibe to the villa,’ she said.
Whitney and Mehdi are now coupled up (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
‘He’s got a heart, you know – and I was thinking small, but I’ve decided to think big. He’s a good person.’
SECOND RECOUPLING
The second recoupling saw a lot of changes in the line-up as existing couples changed and swapped with one another.
Here’s how the line-up looked afterwards:
Whitney and Mehdi stayed together during the second recoupling (PIcture: Rex Shutterstock)
Catherine Agbaje and Andre Furtado
Charlotte Sumner and Zachariah Noble
Jess Harding and Sammy Root
Leah Taylor and Tyrique Hyde
Molly Marsh and Mitchel Taylor
Whitney Adebayo and Mehdi Edno
However, following Andre and Charlotte’s dumping from the villa both Catherine and Zachariah are now single.
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