At some point in every series of Love Island, a contestant will sassily point out that this is a show about finding romance, not friendship. I imagine that “Friend Island”, the alternative reality TV show they refer to, would actually be quite fun. But as new girls Afia and Ekin-Su arrive in the villa, just four days into this year’s series, they make it clear that friendship is dead in the water. “I’m sorry, I’m not here to make seasonal girlfriends, I’m here to find the love of my life,” Ekin-Su says. The other girls, it’s safe to say, are rattled.
First, both girls head out on a date with Liam, voted for by the public I assume partly because they like him, and partly to annoy Gemma. There’s something incredibly endearing about this series’ himbo king, especially when Afia tells him that she’s from south-east London and he replies: “Is that like Chelsea?” He clearly has a better connection with both girls than he does with Gemma, who‘s having some bone-dry conversation with Davide back at the villa.
