It's been 10 years since Cara De La Hoyde first walked into the Love Island villa, coupling up with Nathan Massey on day one and winning the second series of the hit reality show.
Since then, Love Island has grown into a global phenomenon, spawning international franchises and launching the careers of countless stars.
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Cara lifts the lid on what really went on behind the scenes, from the camera crew quietly keeping contestants up to date with the 2016 Euros to the hidden phone in the villa, the moment she threatened to quit, and the beauty disaster she suffered just before the live final.
Reflecting on the current series, Cara also gives her verdict on this year's Islanders, revealing who she thinks should win, and why she doesn't see Lola and Sean lasting on the outside.
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Cara De La Hoyde reveals:
Will bombshells come in and tell people how well they’re doing on the outside?
You weren't allowed to ask them anything because they'd get into trouble, and they weren't supposed to tell you anything. I don't know if that's changed, but back then, you just couldn't ask, and they couldn't tell. Simple as. Rykard was a bit naughty during our season and managed to hook one of the phones up to the internet.
How did he do that?
We have no clue. He’s not the most tech-savvy person at all. That’s how we found out that Mohammed Ali had died. But the producers soon realised and took it off him. There are cameras everywhere so you can’t hide anything for long.
Were islanders told about the Brexit referendum result?
We weren’t, but to be honest, we were so young I’m not sure we really cared about politics. We didn’t really know what it even meant back then.
Were you told the scores for Euro 2016 when you were in the villa?
I remember the boys asking the cameramen. I’m not sure how the new villa is laid out, but during my season, there were holes in the walls to let the cameras record through. I’d get told off all the time for chatting to the cameramen, and I know the boys would always ask them how England was getting on. I think a few cameramen gave us some hints, but then they started to get in trouble for it. After that, we just had to stop asking.
Will they be able to watch any of the games?
We weren’t allowed to watch any games. The boys would even go to the beach on our days off from filming and still not be allowed to watch any football in any of the bars. It’s a bit unfair, really. It’s a huge occasion and we could win. I don’t see what harm it does.
Were you allowed to have cheat days in the villa and order takeaways from places like McDonald’s?
Nah, our season didn’t have the budget! It’s not like it is now. We were like the bottom of the bucket, no budget, no hair styling, no makeup, and dry cleaning only once a week. We didn't get any luxuries and no takeaways.
What was the most unglamorous part of your time on Love Island?
Probably the bathroom. Can you imagine sharing a bathroom with that many people? It got messy!
Did you get any beauty luxuries?
We were sponsored by a certain health and beauty retailer at the time, so we had razors everywhere. Some girls would do top-to-bottom shaves every day, but I’d often go without for days. My attitude was if Nathan didn’t like it, tough. Much like my attitude in our marriage now. For the final, I was actually wearing clip-ins the producers had to scramble to find. I’d gone into the villa with extensions, but we didn’t have access to hairdressers, so by the end of the two months, it looked shocking. I took matters into my own hands and just cut them all off with scissors. It looked terrible, so the crew went and found these synthetic black clip-ins for me to wear. Also, my nails for the final are a bright green because they only gave us a few bottles of nail varnish to use. We had to do it all ourselves.
Do you think the Casa Amor concept has run out of steam? And if so, what do you think could be a better twist?
I feel like there are loads of things they could do, but it's all a bit theoretical. I think that's what people sometimes forget. Everyone comes up with ideas like, "Do this, do that," whether it's bringing in gay contestants instead of having an all-straight cast, for example. But then you've got to think about the reality of it. Does it actually work in practice? They've got a formula, and it definitely needs shaking up. Something needs to change.
Who out of the boys does he like the most?
Sean. I would've gone out with Sean. I think he's fit. I don't know if it's the Irish accent or what, but he is. Funnily enough the brothers Aidan and Kavan Murphy are from around near my area.
Who do you want to win the show?
I loved Ellie and it’s so sad she’s gone. If she’d stayed, I reckon she could have gone on to win it with someone else. She was great. I also love Jasmine and she’s with Kavan. I think Jasmine feels very self-assured. She’s a woman, not a girl, and I feel I could get on with her.
Were you ever tempted to quit?
There were definitely times when I felt like walking away. I struggle with social anxiety, so living with the same group of people 24/7 was incredibly overwhelming. On top of that, there was a lot happening back home. My cousin was terminally ill with cancer, and while I was in the villa, my family had gone away with him for what they knew would be their final holiday together. Rykard became the person I leaned on the most. We'd find a quiet spot at the bottom of the garden, away from the cameras, and I'd talk to him about everything that was on my mind. When he left the villa, I was devastated. I cried and even told the producers I wanted to leave too. But I was convinced to stay and obviously I'm glad I did.
Contestants seem so emotional when someone leaves. Can you shed light on why it’s so emotional?
Honestly, when you find someone in that situation that you really like and genuinely connect with, they become your safe space. When they leave, you're like, "Oh, s***," because it is kind of like school. You have cliques and groups.
When someone is dumped, how quick is their exit?
It’s really fast. Sometimes people would get time to pack their suitcase, otherwise, they’d be out right away, and we’d have to pack it for them.
What do you actually get told to pack before coming onto the show?
They give you a rough idea, things like evening outfits, daywear and swimwear. But it was all pretty vague because, obviously, no one knew how long they were going to be in there. If you ended up staying, like we did, for the full six weeks, you were just re-wearing clothes. Everyone was really nice, though, and we'd all share outfits. To be fair, we were mostly wearing £10 Boohoo dresses anyway. We'd just gone on Boohoo before the show, spent about £300 and bought loads of dresses.
When do you get your phones back after leaving the villa?
We had to wait until after the final had stopped filming. We got our phones back later that night and had left the notifications on, so it was just pinging for ages.
What is it really like going back to normal life after Love Island?
It’s definitely an adjustment. Being around crowds of people after getting used to life in the villa is strange. I think it’s like when we were first able to go out again after Covid. It feels weird at first but you soon get used to it.
What are your thoughts on Lola and Sean? Will they last?
Let’s be honest, Sean was flirting with Julia in Casa Amor. It takes two to flirt, so he was to blame too. It was interesting to watch Lola and Sean on the Debrief after they were dumped from the villa.
Have you seen his social media videos before he entered the villa? Why do you think he toned himself down on screen?
Yeah, because I went down a little rabbit hole on his social media, and he was doing all these little skits and funny videos. Nothing over the top, just little comedy bits. So when he first went in, I thought he was going to be a bit more of a joker, a bit more like Nathan. But I think he got locked down too soon. I think he had more to offer, but once he settled into a couple, maybe he just thought, "Oh, this is a comfortable ride. We'll just see how it goes."
