Love Island

The Week Love Island Turned Into Disrespect Island

Will Paige wise up? Will people start noticing Danica? Will Jay finally get some heat? Victoria Sanusi breaks down a week of drama.

by Victoria Sanusi
‘Love Island’ 2022: Victoria Sanusi On Damiyah, Danika’s Mugging Off & Ekin-Su Drama
ITV

I’ve got to hand it to the producers, the past week of Love Island has been jam-packed with chaos, mayhem, and disorder. Just like we like it! Usually, we would have a few filler episodes by now, you know, the episodes you can fold your washing with or half watch whilst you meal prep… but not this past week. There has been a serious amount of pieing going on and I can’t get enough. But before we break that chaos down, a word on the best couple in there: Damiyah.

Honestly, seeing Dami and Indiyah together makes my heart completely melt. Every. Single. Time. This is the stuff of dreams, folks; the Black British romantic comedy we've been yearning for. I would go as far to say that in the history of Love Island we haven’t seen a couple bond quite like this. Sure, Camilla and Jamie from series 3 and Olivia and Alex from series 2 are married with kids to this day, but did they have a secret handshake like Dimiyah? Exactly. For me, they are hands down the winning couple. Were it not for all the disrespect going on in the wider villa,I would say we should just call it a day and give them the £50k prize now.

Which brings me onto my other favourite subject: Ekin-Su. Someone give that woman a BAFTA! Her reading of Jay was perfection. Behold the power of Act II: no holding back and replaying a situation over and over in your mind. No, Ekin-Su taught us that you can have those “what if I said that”-shower moments IRL. The drama she brings to the villa is unparalleled – but so is the disrespect the Islanders have for her.

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It is disappointing that no one ever stands up for her. The lads all have unkind words to say about her (Jacques calling her a “f***ing headache” comes to mind) and the girls aren’t much better. Ekin’s time in the villa is a painful reminder of how confident and assertive women are treated: as if they have no feelings and nothing will affect them. Yes, she kissed Jay behind Davide’s back and lied about it later, but she also apologised. Where is the heat for Jay in all of this? There is a degree of slut-shamming at play, too. When Tasha wants to bring out her inner “hot girl”and wants to explore different opportunities – a “quiet Ekin-Su”, as some have called her – she isn’t met with anywhere near the same level of animosity Ekin-Su is. When Tasha cries, she is comforted; when Ekin-Su sheds tears, she’s called a drama queen. She literally can’t win. (Though let’s hope she does win the Davide race because their enemies turn lover trope is quite the amusing one to watch.)

ITV

Who we all should be paying attention to is Jacques. He feels like a walking, breathing red flag. His victim? Poor sweet Paige. She does not deserve what is happening to her. Watching Jacques and Jay talk about her as if she were a 17th Century dowry makes me cringe. Did either of them even stop for a second to think about what Paige wants? Jacques’ “I’ve never cared about someone like this before”-line is also alarming. Lest we forget, his ex-girlfriend is just a few beds away. Paige, wake up! Please!

But if there were an award for the most disrespected person in the vila right now, that award would have to go to Danica. Kissed by Davide then pied off when he coupled up with Antigoni, she was last picked in the recoupling and left with Jacques… This gorgeous gal deserves far better. Here’s hoping love is on the cards for her this week, because the current situation is, frankly, gutting.