A former Love Island star has disclosed the 'ridiculous' sum that cast members receive for entering the villa. Helena Ford, who appeared in series 12 and the most recent All Stars edition, revealed on the Private Parts podcast that contestants are paid around £300 a week.
The host was taken aback to learn that the sum was so modest. She admitted that she had assumed the payment would at least offset any loss of earnings or cover bills that continue to accrue while Islanders are in the villa, but in reality, it falls short.
All Stars pays more
Helena clarified that this is not the case, as she was never asked about her typical outgoings away from the show. She stated: "You get paid per day as well. Whereas you get weekly (for Love Island). You got paid a lot more money to go on All Stars than you would to get the normal one."
The 30-year-old, who worked as a cabin crew member prior to her television appearance, went on to describe how she was cast on the spin-off programme. She explained that while receiving therapy following her initial summer series stint, she was invited to return the day after she was initially eliminated from the show.
Return to the villa
Initially, she declined, but later changed her mind. She added: "I thought, it's never going to be worse than it is now. If I just throw myself back into the situation, at least I know I've tried."
She also admitted that her All Stars stint was 'more boring' and none of the male cast members were her type, leaving her wondering: "What am I going to do here?"
Love Island is streaming on ITVX.
