Praise be to the reality TV gods. It has only taken two series, a global pandemic and the nation manufacturing the initial “couplings” in the first week, but Love Island is finally back on form. The last fortnight has had more drama than the entire last two dreary series combined. And its bounce back is in no small part down to the arrival of Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, a Turkish actor who must surely moonlight as a Love Island producer, given her unrelenting commitment to causing chaos.
On her slo-mo arrival into the villa in episode 3, Ekin-Su made her intentions clear. “I’m not here to make seasonal girlfriends,” she announced to the other women. “I’m here to find the love of my life.” Watching her pursue that goal has been dynamite. Night one she was blowing kisses at Luca as he lay in bed with his partner, Gemma. The next morning she grafted the villa’s entire male population by making them breakfast. In a few short days she had successfully made a move on Davide. Then before we knew it, she was crawling on all fours across the terrace to orchestrate a secret kiss with newcomer Jay, a move that will undoubtedly remain in the Love Island hall of fame for years to come.
