Former Love Island star brands Joey Essex’s appearance on the show as a ‘cry for more publicity’

Love Island returned earlier this week with its best ratings in two years, as the premiere episode drew in a staggering 2.2 million viewers. This year's series seems all about shaking things up and doing things differently, as the islanders have already faced many unexpected twists far from the show's usual format. From new coupling methods to a celebrity bombshell on the first night, the series is already off to a fiery start.

As the first week in the villa draws to a close, former Love Island star Frankie Foster speaks exclusively with Betfred to discuss the key events of the week. He also shares his thoughts on how the upcoming Euros might impact viewership, gives his views on Joey Essex entering the villa, defends Harriett, and predicts who has the potential to win…

This year’s series of Love Island appears to be off to a great start, with the premiere episode bringing in 2.2 million viewers, the highest ratings in two years. Why do you think this is?

“To put it bluntly, I think people are just bored. The Euros haven’t started yet, summer isn’t quite here, and the weather has been awful, so people probably just don’t have much better to do.

“I was actually in the villa during the 2018 Euros, and I remember it being really frustrating. When new people came in, we would try to ask them how England were doing, but they weren’t allowed to tell us. So we knew when the games were, but we didn’t know the results. Unfortunately, when I came out of the villa, I only managed to catch one England game, and it was the match where they were knocked out. It was all a bit of a disaster.

“With the Euros just around the corner, people will most likely be out in the pubs watching football instead of staying home to watch Love Island. So, I definitely think viewership may start to dwindle in the coming weeks.”

ITV seems to have really played into the rumours this year, creating a lot of speculation about which famous influencers or celebs could be entering the villa. Do you believe this is a tactic they will continue to use to ensure a successful launch night?

“Yes, I think going forward they’re really going to rely on influencers, celebrities, and people with a large following because social media is more important than ever now. There’s been a massive shift in media advertising, with companies moving away from traditional methods like TV advertising and billboards. They’ll still use those, but now social media and influencer spending takes up the majority of most budgets.”

This year brought a twist to how the couples were paired, with islanders being tasked to rank each other from ‘most to least’ boyfriend/girlfriend material. Do you think this tactic was a waste of time since many islanders have already started to break out of their pairings?

“That task was a waste of time, really, because everything will always sort itself out. The only thing we can expect from this is couples breaking up earlier than usual, as they have been given a bit more of an excuse.”

Another twist this year is that the hideaway is no longer reserved for couples who are voted to have a special night away; instead, it will be open for anyone not coupled up to spend some uninterrupted time. Do you think this is the type of twist the show needed to keep it fresh?

“I went into the hideaway and they never showed it, so I hope this year they show more content from there. But I think the hideaway is better when a couple wins the opportunity because it makes it feel more special.”

Of course, we’ve got to talk about the biggest plot twists in Love Island history. What were your thoughts when Maya Jama announced Joey Essex was entering the villa?

“It’s all part of the media game for Joey. He is obviously very commercialised, and I think all the stars in there won’t be surprised to see him and will understand why he is there. Unless they’ve never done any sort of TV before, they may find it quite strange because Joey is very media-trained. He knows the game and has done a lot of TV shows, so he will definitely have an advantage.

“This stint is a cry for more publicity for him, I think. He’s not in there for love; he’s in there for the media attention and will stay as long as the public allows. While I don’t believe he will win, I have a strong feeling that fans will back him, and I can definitely see him making the final. The longer he is in the villa, the more publicity the show will get too, so it’s a win-win for all parties. To keep views up, I have no doubt Love Island will throw one of his exes from TOWIE into the mix at some point, too.”

One star who is already receiving a lot of criticism is Harriett. In her entry clip and during her first night in the villa, she revealed to her fellow campmates that she got out of her last relationship only four months prior and was ‘bored already.’ A lot of people are speculating that she may have broken up with her partner to go on the show. What background checks do producers do to ensure your appearance won’t harm anyone?

“They conduct a rigorous set of tests, but as far as I’m aware, they don’t reach out to anyone else in your circle to fact-check. Before appearing on the show, you do a psych test, ITV conducts background checks, and your health and mental health are assessed. Producers do try their best to ensure people are actually in a fit mindset to appear on the show.

“Alongside this, they want to know what you’ve been up to, but in all honesty, you could have broken up with your partner a day before heading to the villa and still appear on the show because technically, you’re still single. The time from being approached by producers to appearing on the show varies for each person. The main cast is selected months in advance, but there are no set rules—producers could find someone they really like and throw them in days later. So, some of the cast are well thought out and others are last-minute appointments.”

If you were a contestant this year and heard that someone in the villa had only gotten out of their previous relationship four months prior, would it put you off from approaching them?

“Honestly, no. Four months isn’t too short, I don’t think anyway. In the real world, I don’t think too many people would bat an eyelid at that. But because it’s Love Island, I guess people are quicker to judge. You have to put it this way: some people break up and then enter a new relationship a month later, so I think four months is a pretty respectable amount of time.”

Finally, despite it being early days, who do you believe seems like a strong contender to win?

“I’m going to say Mimii. She looks really sweet and like a girls’ girl, so I see real winner potential in her, and I have no doubt the public will think the same too.”