It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since Cara De La Hoyde entered the Love Island villa for a summer of romance. After pairing up with Nathan Massey on day one, the couple won over viewers with their down to earth nature and comedic banter, ultimately emerging as winners and receiving the crown from then-host Caroline Flack.
But reflecting on their journey on the show, Cara admits that while she had a great time, there were private struggles viewers never saw, including the emotional moment she nearly left the villa and walked out on Nathan.
Cara also opens up to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo about her shock falling out with close friend Olivia Bowen, revealing the pair still don’t speak, as well as former Love Island cast members who have surprised her with their “big for their boots” attitudes.
Speaking to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, Cara De La Hoyde shares:
A new season of Love Island is upon us. Which islanders are you initially most excited about, and who do you think could cause the most drama?
I think Mica (Harris) is unbelievably beautiful. It’s ridiculous. I know we don’t judge people by looks anymore, we’ve moved on from that, but she is genuinely stunning. I can’t deal with it. I did like Lorenzo (Alessi) but I’m not so sure about him now. I also think Samraj (Toor) is really handsome, but there’s just nothing there. I don’t think he’s going to be around for long.
Your season of the show is often considered one of the best. What do you think made it so good?
We were just a normal group of people with normal jobs. We also had zero expectations of the show. We weren’t looking at it like this big platform. We didn’t even know many people were watching! I just thought it was six weeks off work and a fun holiday. It was like an 18 to 30s holiday.
Where do you think Love Islanders go wrong?
I think when they try to pretend they’re something they’re not. Fans aren’t stupid and you’re being filmed 24/7. People can see through it all. The people I respect the most are the ones who are honest about wanting to change their lives and create a bigger platform. It can be an amazing show for that. Just look at people like Maura Higgins, Molly Mae Hague and Olivia Attwood. They’ve cracked the code.
Former contestant Toni Laites came under fire when she said on the Love Island podcast The Debrief that George Knight was a ‘jump scare’. What do you think?
I actually respected George on a recent episode when he said that he felt certain people were trying ‘too hard’. Fair play to him for having a strong opinion and not being afraid to say it.
You recently said that you didn’t think anyone would fancy you on the show - why do you think this and do you remember criticism you got at the time?
People have to remember that I was on the show ten years ago and 2016 was a very different time. That was the era of bleach blonde everything. It was the height of the WAG culture and the pinnacle of beauty was glamour, you know what I mean? 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. Both me and Nathan have been lucky with trolling, as we've not had too much. I think we're both down to earth and we also don't let the negative stuff bother us.
You were 25 when you went on the show. What do you make of younger contestants going on the show?
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!
You must have met so many former Love Islanders over the years. Who has been your favourite and who has been your least favourite?
Well, let’s just say there are some newer Love Islanders that get a bit too big for their boots. I’m an adult, so I don’t care if you talk to me or not at an event, but I think some people believe their own hype and think they’re Beyoncé. I won’t name names. There have been some lovely islanders, of course. Nathan and I met Gabby (Allen) and Adam (Collard) on a recent This Morning segment and we really got on.
Actually, the person who really surprised me was Curtis (Pritchard). He gets a lot of stick but he’s actually so lovely. We also did Molly Smith and Tom Clare’s podcast recently. I admitted to Molly afterwards that I was a bit nervous about meeting her. She’s so beautiful, and I didn’t know what she’d be like. She told me she completely understood, and that she also feels a bit of anxiety when meeting other Islanders at events.
Are you and Nathan still close to anyone from your season?
I’m still really close with Rykard (Jenkins), and Nathan gets on really well with Scott (Thomas). There’s no bad blood with anyone else, but it’s a bit like expecting to stay in touch with every former colleague from a job you had ten years ago. Life moves on.
You and Olivia Bowen were great friends on the series but had a famous falling out when she cut you as a bridesmaid from her wedding to Alex in 2018. Where do you both stand now?
I have not spoken to Olivia for maybe eight years. So there’s no relationship between us, good or bad. People ask me what it would be like if we bumped into each other but we haven’t. We don’t know each other anymore and our lives have changed so much. If someone was to ask me what Olivia was like, I couldn’t tell them, as I don’t know her anymore.
Your season brought a lot of drama, but were there any scenes that viewers didn’t get to see?
Nathan was so much funnier than he came across. He used to play pranks on people all the time. It’s cringe as I don’t normally praise my husband but he’s so funny and we’ve got a relationship where we just take the p*** out of each other because we love each other. It’s a big presence and you miss him when he’s not there. We needed his energy in the villa too as it was boring.
You and Nathan seemed to have such a great journey in the villa but did you go through any struggles?
Yes! Firstly, it was so boring. I wanted to leave multiple times. I have social anxiety so being around the same people for that long was so intense. Plus, I was dealing with a lot in the outside world. My cousin was terminal with cancer and my whole family had gone on a final holiday with him. I used to vent a lot to Rykard because he was my person there. We’d go down to the bottom of the garden where there were no cameras and I’d open up about everything. When he got dumped from the villa, I sobbed so much and told producers I wanted to leave too. That’s when they told me that Nathan and I were really liked and the public had really warmed to us. That gave me a boost as up until then, I honestly didn’t think we were that popular at all.
Did Nathan try and get you to stay?
He didn’t know I wanted to go! I wouldn’t have expected him to leave with me. Who knows what could have been. He probably would have ended up with some Essex bird and probably divorced now.
You guys have been together ten years now. What’s the secret to a lasting romance?
For us, it’s comedy. We laugh together all the time and we’re genuinely a good team. I’ve always had trust in him too. Whenever he’d go out on PAs, I never worried about other girls.
Is there a scene from your season that fans still bring up to you?
When I accidentally farted in front of Nathan. Listen, all real couples do it!
Did you ever watch your season back?
Never. I’ve seen clips here and there, but I couldn’t actually watch Love Island for a few years afterwards because it gave me so much anxiety. I’m not sure why, I think I used to worry that new cast members would come in and replace us, and that no one would care about us anymore or we’d never get any more work.
Your host was Caroline Flack. What was she like off camera?
Absolutely amazing. Just lovely and she’d always come and chat to us. She used to get told off for chatting to us too much! She’d find us at events after the show had finished and wanted to hang out too. She never had an ego about her. Nathan told me he once went to a celebrity event and got left on his own, so Caroline took him under her wing and they all went partying at the Groucho club. She genuinely cared about the couples, and seemed to just love love. She always rooted for me and Nathan.
How do you feel about Maya Jama as the host?
She’s AI! She’s so beautiful, I’ve never seen someone in the flesh more stunning and with such an unreal body. She could afford to be a b**** but she’s also lovely. She’s a natural on camera and whenever Nathan and I have been on Love Island: Aftersun, she’ll come over between takes and have a chat. I wouldn’t have wanted her as the host during my season. Not when I’m trying to pull a bloke.
What’s something from your season they should bring back to Love Island?
The smoking area and raunchier scenes. 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!
