A former Love Island winner has shared her candid views on what needs to change for the show to thrive again, insisting that the programme should reintroduce "raunchier" scenes and become an over-21s competition.
Cara De La Hoyde's Call for Change
Cara De La Hoyde, who triumphed on the show alongside her now-husband Nathan Massey, suggested that the programme should raise the minimum age for contestants. Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Cara said: "It wouldn't be a bad idea to make it over 21s. Love Island is a huge show and it's a big thing to do. There's a lot that comes after it. I also think it would be great to move the age to older. Sometimes I feel weird watching all these 21 year olds as a 36 year old!"
Cara and Nathan appeared on the second series of Love Island, which broadcast on ITV2 in 2016. The pair were 25 and 27 at the time, but the youngest on their series was Emma Woodham, who was 19. The youngest ever contestant was Amelia Peters, a 2017 Casa Amor bombshell who was 18.
Currently, the youngest Islanders are Robyn Langton, Kavan Murphy and Mica Harris, all aged 21. The last time someone under 21 appeared on the show was in 2023, when 19-year-old Amber Wise and 20-year-old Kodie Murphy took part.
Raunchier Scenes for Drama
Cara also expressed a desire for the show to be "raunchier" to boost drama. When asked what from series two should be brought back, she said: "The smoking area and raunchier scenes." However, she acknowledged this was unlikely: "I know they won't because they want to be seen as BAFTA-worthy television. But I'm telling you, bring it back and the drama will follow!"
Her series is remembered as one of the most risqué and uncensored in Love Island history. Numerous cast members, including Emma Woodham and Terry Walsh, were caught in intimate moments on the show. In one contentious scene, Emma was told that sex above the covers wouldn't be broadcast, but it was aired on ITV2, contrary to what she had been told. Another scandal involved Zara Holland losing her Miss Great Britain title after having sex in the hideaway.
Changing Times
Cara noted that the show has evolved significantly since 2016. She said: "That was the era of bleach blonde everything. It was the height of the WAG culture and the pinnacle of beauty was glamour. I didn't think I was the typical type for most men back then. I've got quite small boobs, and I wasn't that stereotypical Love Island-type girl that boys were expected to fancy at the time. But I went in and gave it a go."
Cara and Nathan claimed victory after being paired from day one. Despite a temporary split post-villa, they reunited and now have two children, born in 2017 and 2020, and married in 2019.
