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Love Island UK launched its summer series on Monday, June 9, with a major twist that shifted the power to the female contestants. In an unexpected move announced by host Maya Jama, the girls were asked to form their initial pairings based solely on the boys’ dating profiles, rather than meeting them in person.
This marked a new direction for the ITV reality show, which returned with 12 new singles entering the villa in hopes of finding love. The twist led to a series of surprise matchups and even a bombshell that disrupted the initial pairings before the night was over. As Jama said during the episode:
“You’ve told me what your type on paper is, but does that match your ideal man in reality?”
The profiles, printed on heart-shaped cards, included the boys' names, ages, occupations, and one-line self-descriptions, which the girls had to rely on before sprinting toward their chosen partner.
Initial couples formed on Love Island UK: Full list explored
On June 9, during the premiere of Love Island UK, Maya Jama asked the girls to choose their partners using only the information from the boys' dating profiles. She said to the contestants gathered by the pool,
“In front of you there are six love hearts and each boy has given me their dating profile which is written on each of these hearts – shall we have a look at what these boys have to offer?”
Once the girls read the brief profiles, Jama instructed them to “race to whichever heart they liked the look of,” resulting in six initial couples.
1) Helena and Conor
Helena ended up with Conor, despite revealing she got the “ick” from rugby players. Conor turned out to be a professional rugby player, and Helena had initially hoped for someone who could make her laugh and didn’t play the sport.
Conor described himself in his profile as a “bit arrogant, bit cocky.” However, after a one-on-one chat, Helena said Conor was more fun than she had expected.
2) Sophie and Harry
Sophie and Harry quickly bonded on Love Island UK. Harry, a commodities trader and semi-pro footballer, was “delighted” to see Sophie in red and shared that he was a “hopeless romantic” who preferred face-to-face interactions over dating apps.
Sophie, an author and motivational speaker, said she was “looking for a husband” and opened up about being injured in a fire. The pair shared a serious conversation early on and found immediate chemistry.
3) Meg and Dejon
Meg, who said she had been single for over four years, picked Dejon based on his profile, though she later admitted she was only “50/50” on whether he was her type. Her uncertainty stemmed from Dejon stating he liked to party, which she took as a potential sign he wasn't ready to settle down.
However, by the end of the night, both expressed that their connection had improved, saying they were “up to 100” in terms of compatibility. Dejon described himself as “definitely competitive” and said he was feeling “positive” after their conversation.
4) Megan and Tommy
Megan chose Tommy, a landscape gardener, and the two connected over their shared Sicilian heritage. Megan said she wanted to find “the guy of her dreams” and admitted that she was “sick” of dating apps.
Tommy, who claimed women gave him plenty of attention, said that his mother’s opinion could be a “dealbreaker” in any relationship. Megan, an energy broker, described herself as “competitive” and was open to dating without the help of apps.
5) Shakira and Ben
Shakira, a children’s entertainer, chose Ben, a taxi driver who noted in his profile, “No, I’m not a catfish.” Shakira expressed that her ideal man needed “to have the chat” and was looking for her Prince Charming. Ben said:
“My love life is a shambles, social media has ruined everything,”
and admitted he often meets attractive women but hasn't had much success in dating.
6) Alima and Blu
Alima ended up with Blu in Love Island UK, though both indicated they were not each other’s usual type. Blu, who was born in London but raised in Spain, rated himself “9.5 out of 10” and joked that to get a 10, he’d need to have his trousers off.
Alima was less impressed, saying he had been rude when he complimented all the girls after she had chosen him. Still, both agreed to remain open-minded.
At the end of the Love Island UK episode, host Maya Jama reappeared with a twist. She introduced Toni, a contestant from the United States who said she was “tired of American boys.”
Jama told Toni she could couple up with any boy in the villa. Toni chose Ben, which left Shakira single. Jama then told Shakira she had 24 hours to form a new connection or risk being dumped from Love Island UK.
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Love Island UK continues to air nightly on ITV2.
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