ITV has announced the comeback of one of Love Island's most controversial twists, The Grafties ceremony, for Series 13. Fans are bracing themselves for carnage as the award-style event returns, typically held during the seventh week of the series.
How The Grafties Work
The Grafties ceremony operates along similar lines to Movie Night, with islanders gathering to watch footage of themselves throughout the series. The key difference lies in the clips being sorted into award categories, with viewers voting for the winners in each section. Past series have included categories like Flirtiest Performance, Most Snakey Sitch, and Best No Filter Moment.
Each category winner must take to the podium to collect their gong and deliver a speech to their fellow islanders. The ceremony invariably sparks outrage and has triggered hundreds of Ofcom complaints previously.
Controversy and Concerns
Audiences have raised concerns about the islanders' wellbeing as their private moments are exposed for all to witness. Last year, reality TV enthusiasts were particularly unimpressed with Series 12's Most Emotional Moment category, which featured montages of contestants in tears, according to OK! magazine.
Cach Mercer claimed victory in that category for a heartbreaking sequence where he wept on the terrace after Toni Laites chose to recouple with Harrison Solomon. The pair eventually rekindled their romance and went on to claim the series crown.
Return for Series 13
Now, The Grafties are poised to stage a comeback for Series 13, with their return being teased at the close of tonight's episode (July 20). Viewers won't have to wait long either, as they're scheduled to take place on Tuesday (July 21).
This year's categories have remained shrouded in secrecy thus far, but if they mirror the same format as previous series, fans will be able to glimpse them on Love Island's official social media channels a couple of days before the episode broadcasts, as well as submit their votes via Instagram Stories.
Fan Reactions
Responding to news of The Grafties' return, one fan wrote: "Jasmine telling Priya about what Aidan said about Bella, the Grafties, ohhh tomorrow's going to be messy." Another chimed in: "Wow just when I said I wasn't watching anymore they want to pull out the Grafties... ok." Meanwhile, someone else remarked: "The Grafties? Yeah none of these couples except Yasmine are safe." Another forecast: "Grafties is going be a bore because Aidan has won all of the awards."
Love Island airs Sundays to Fridays at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
