Love Island fans expressed their concern for Sam Taylor just moments before his unexpected departure from the show.
The 23-year-old hairstylist from Sheffield was brutally axed from the ITV2 series on Tuesday night, making him the first Islander of the season to be dumped. Former The Only Way Is Essex star Joey Essex was given the task of choosing a girl to couple up with, leading to the boy coupled with her being sent home.
Before the decision, viewers took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share their concerns about Sam’s minimal screen time during the episode. One fan tweeted, “Why is everyone acting like Sam is invisible? Does he smell or something? #LoveIsland.” Another added, “Why is no one pouncing on Sam rn #loveIsland.”
Other fans demanded more visibility for Sam, with one tweeting, “Show us Sam #loveIsland,” and another stating, “It’s almost like Sam has vanished from our screens #loveIsland.” A baffled fan questioned, “Does Sam’s breath stink? Why is no one going for him #loveIsland,” while another shared, “I fear Sam might be going home and I’m not okay with that tbh #loveIsland.” One fan even begged, “No because Sam can’t go #loveIsland.”
Joey had the ultimate decision on who to send packing after spending a day getting to know the girls in the villa. Despite having conversations with each girl, he seemed to form the closest connection with Samantha. The other boys were visibly unhappy about Joey holding so much power over their fate in the villa. At the firepit, Joey declared he made the “right decision” in choosing Samantha to couple up with.
A brand new group of Islanders entered the villa on Monday night during the launch show, with Maya Jama returning to her hosting duties following the All Stars series earlier this year. The Islanders were initially paired up, and Joey Essex made a surprise entrance as the first bombshell of the series.
Joey, 33, revealed in a pre-show interview that he had signed up for the show himself, rather than being approached by producers. He shared the extreme measures he took to keep his villa entry a secret. His arrival marks the first celebrity participation on the ITV2 show.
The contestants were asked to rank the opposite sex based on who they thought was most and least boyfriend or girlfriend material. Maya then revealed the pairings, matching the most boyfriend material with the most girlfriend material, and the least boyfriend material with the least girlfriend material Islanders.