Elicia Bailey, the 23-year-old Love Island bombshell from Rotherham, has revealed the real reason she turned down the chance to take Aidan on a date during her short stint in the villa. Elicia arrived as a late bombshell and quickly caught the attention of several boys, but her journey ended abruptly on July 16 when she received the fewest public votes alongside Jordon and was forced to leave.
Elicia's Arrival and Date Choices
Upon entering the villa, Elicia was celebrated with a special breakfast date where she could handpick multiple boys to join her. She chose Finley, and the two grew close immediately, despite Finley being partnered with Ellie at the time. Elicia later snatched Finley from Ellie in a dramatic recoupling ceremony, as reported by OK! magazine. However, Finley soon wavered between the two women, eventually ending things with Elicia to reconcile with Ellie.
Why Elicia Skipped Aidan
Elicia also had conversations with Aidan during her villa stay, but when given the chance to select boys for a date, she did not pick him. She explained: "I feel Aidan was someone I always knew I'd be drawn to initially anyway which is why I didn't pick him for the dates - I wanted to talk to people I wouldn't necessarily talk to. I'm not finding love on the outside so I wanted to give myself an opportunity to meet somebody that wasn't necessarily my typical type."
Despite initially being attracted to Aidan, Elicia later concluded he wasn't right for her. She added: "With Aidan, the more we chatted, he's an amazing person but maybe Aidan was a bit too 'laddy' for someone who I want long-term. He went about it maturely - I'm happy for them. He just wasn't right for me."
Reflections on Her Love Island Experience
Looking back, Elicia described her time on the show as 'mad' and a full-circle moment, having been a longtime fan. She said: "(It's) genuinely a full circle moment for me. I've been watching the show for years and now have actually experienced it. It's not what I expected but it's better than I expected. The friendships I've made with people will last a lifetime."
Elicia also offered advice for future contestants: "I would definitely recommend Love Island. I would tell them to make sure they have enough bikinis packed and pyjamas and knickers!" Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
