Love Island contestants have been mocked for their repetitive use of phrases like 'it is what it is' and 'bev', but a linguistics expert claims it is not their fault. According to Tony Thorne of King's College London, the closed environment of the villa forces islanders to mimic each other's language due to lack of outside contact.
Thorne explains that slang thrives in restricted groups, and the intense atmosphere of Love Island accelerates the spread of key words. These often describe strong emotions like jealousy or being dumped, as the group's activities are limited. The language mix includes working-class slang, multi-ethnic youth slang, and colloquialisms.
Fans have criticised the overuse of 'it is what it is' in the current series, while previous seasons saw phrases like 'my type on paper' and 'I'm loyal babes' dominate. Surfer girl Lucie has been noted for repeatedly using 'bev' to mean an attractive person, prompting former contestant Kady McDermott to question the term.
Thorne notes that slang spreads to the outside world through imitation of fashionable characters. He adds that less educated or more extroverted individuals are more likely to copy others to gain approval. As the series continues, more slang is expected to emerge, but viewers remain frustrated with the repetitive language.
