The villa’s guidelines! Every contestant who’s in search of romance on Love Island must follow a set of rules enforced by the show — and if they don’t, they face elimination.
The reality show, which first premiered in England and now has counterparts across the globe, centers around a group of singles who move into a luxurious island villa with the hopes of falling in love and winning the $100,000 prize. On their first day, the participants must pair up with one of their costars.
Over time, the duos can uncouple and switch partners. Anyone who ends up single gets eliminated — but viewers can also vote off different participants throughout the season. To make things even more difficult, new additions make their way to the tropical destination to test the islanders’ relationships. In the final week, the at-home audience votes for the winner.
Even though the contestants are living in paradise, they do have a strict set of rules they must follow so they can remain on the show. One of the most serious rules is no violence, bullying or inappropriate language — a guideline that several contestants have broken over the years, including two occasions where certain cast members have been removed from the series after getting into an altercation.
In season 5 of the U.K. show, Sherif Lanre was sent home after he accidentally kicked Molly-Mae Hague in her crotch during a play fight and made an insensitive joke about it after. His exit came nine days after the show’s 2019 premiere. At the time, ITV issued a statement on behalf of Lanre. “In a case of poor judgment, I broke the villa rules and as a result agreed with the producers that it was best for me to leave the villa,” the message read.
Contestants are also not allowed to use their phones while they are filming the reality TV series. While the players’ loved ones used to be able to run their social media accounts while the show aired, a new set of guidelines were introduced regarding social media usage in January 2023.
For the U.K. series, participants are no longer allowed to have active social media profiles while the show airs. The rule change comes from ITV and Lifted Entertainment to protect the television personalities and their families from the negative effects of social media per Variety.
Per the 2023 rules, islanders will also participate in a variety of workshops that will help their overall experience on and after the show. The new initiative includes psychological support, training on how to handle potential negativity on social media, financial management, conversations about the impact of participation on the show and more. There is also an aftercare package that extends support to all contestants following their time on the show and guidance on mutually respectful behavior in relationships.
Keep reading to see all the rules the Love Island stars must follow: