Written by Kiley Bartolozzi
The second season of Love Island Games made a show-stopping entrance from the very start—literally! Our beloved host Ariana Madix is back along with a group of 14 seasoned Love Island contestants all arrived in head-turning villa-ready looks, touching down in Fiji by helicopter, jet ski, boat, and more.
Love Island Games takes a competitive approach on the classic heart throb drama, challenging contestants not just to find love, but more importantly win games to earn advantages that lead to the prize of 250,000 dollars, all while making connections and balancing rivalries and high-stake games.
Returning islanders from Love Island USA included both fan favorites and some who stirred the pot in past seasons such as Kay Kay Gray (Season 5), Andrea Carmona (Season 6), Andreina Santos (Season 7), Josh Goldstein (Season 3), Chris Seeley (Season 7), Kendall Washington (Season 6), and Isaiah Campbell (Season 4). They were joined by international newcomers Tyrique Hyde (UK Season 10), Lucinda Strafford (UK/Australia Season 7 & Season 5), Garbi Denteh (Netherlands Season 4), Mert Okatan (Netherlands Season 2), and Nicola Gauci Borda-Warr (Malta Season 1).
The series started on September 16 and kickstarted with none other than a game. Islanders dressed in Roman soldier attire, with a Love Island twist, played the game of “Gladiator” in which contestants faced off two at a time in an obstacle course with the goal of “rescuing” the islander of their choice. Each participant had to collect four hearts by completing mini challenges along the course and to the finish line after “saving” and kissing their islander of choice.
Romantic sparks started flying as Islanders rescued their chosen partners with a kiss. Andreina locked eyes on Tyrique from the moment she arrived, Lucinda was immediately drawn to Mert, Andrea and Josh had mutual feelings, and Nicola kissed Chris — but he decided to switch it up and save Andrea.
During the challenge, certain Islanders brought their A-game. Nicola caught everyone off guard with her fierce competitiveness, while Andrea hit the ground running like a pro —understandable, given her background as a bodybuilder. Josh and Tyrique refused to go down without a fight, Garbi navigated the course as if she had a target on her back, and Chris relied on his “overseas” basketball skills to take him to the finish line.
Ultimately the winners of the first challenge were Garbi and Chris. They had the choice to couple up together but chose not. Garbi, instead, chose to couple up with Kendall and Chris coupled with Kay Kay. From there, Islanders all recoupled based on their ranking from the game.
The first recoupling ended with the following couples:
- Garbi and Kendall
- Chris and Kay Kay
- Andrea and Josh
- Tyrique and Andreina
- Mert and Lucinda
- Nicola and Isaiah
The couples were shortly disrupted after two bombshells entered the villa, Charlie Georgiou (USA Season 7) and Solene Favreau (France Season 2). Solene chose to kiss Mert and couple up with him, leaving Lucinda single and vulnerable for future recoupling. Charlie coupled up with Andrea, which left Josh single and vulnerable as well.
The villa’s energy continued to heat up in Episodes 2 through 4 as connections, rivalry, and strategy collided. Islanders began to find it difficult to balance their connections whilst also being in competition with one another. Some couples made progress in both “love and war” including Andrea and Josh who seemed to have built a solid connection, even though she was taken away by Charlie. Andreina is still smitten with Tyrique, however his wandering eye for a better competitor may get him into trouble— trouble being Kay Kay.
A duel was challenged between two sets of Islanders as vulnerable contestants Josh and Lucinda got to pick the Islander of their choice to “battle.” It was no question for Josh to duel Charlie as he wanted to couple back up with his Day 1 Andrea, and Lucinda went for who she thought she could beat easily, that being Andreina.
Lucinda smoked Andreina in their deal, leaving Tyrique to question if his partner is capable of winning the games. Josh fiercely won against Charlie to get his girl back. Ultimately, the duels left Andreina and Charlie wearing a heart break necklace leaving them single and vulnerable.
As tensions in the villa reached a boiling point, Islanders shifted gears toward the romantic side of the game. Andrea and Josh sealed his win with a kiss, while Garbi and Kendall have their first official kiss. Meanwhile what started as Tyrique expressing concerns about Andreina to Kay Kay quickly turned into a steamy secretive kiss.
Just when Islanders thought pressure was at its peak, two bombshells arrived to shake things up further: Justine Ndiba, winner of Love Island USA Season 2 and Love Island Games Season 1, and Johnny Middlebrooks, runner-up of both shows. Charlie and Andreina were chosen to go on dates with the new arrivals, and Andreina’s history with Johnny made their date a full-on make out session, bound to stir up some drama.
With the first dumping on the horizon, Justine and Charlie, along with Andreina and Johnny, had to strategize carefully. Their upcoming challenge would determine Charlie and Andreina’s fates as they must go against a couple of their choosing in a challenge that would change the villa’s dynamic for good.
Justine and Charlie decided to take on Nicola and Isaiah, while Andreina and Johnny faced off Garbi and Kendall. Ultimately, the challenge ended with both Charlie and Kendall left wearing the infamous broken heart necklace, putting their futures in the villa in the hands of their fellow islanders. Charlie received fewer votes than Kendall, making him the first islander dumped from the villa – justice for Charlie!
Andreina was left blindsided after discovering Tyrique had shared a sneaky kiss with Kay Kay— a connection she never saw coming. When she confronted him, their chat made her realize his true colors, and she quickly shifted her blinders straight to Johnny. Meanwhile, Kendall and Garbi took the time to genuinely connect, diving into all the detailed questions. Nicola and Isaiah also discussed their dynamic, recognizing the strength in their teamwork, but Isaiah admitted he is not there romantically with her—-leaving Nicola feeing deflated.
The bombshell twist of Episode 4 came courtesy of Toby Aromolaran (UK Season 7), who wasted no time shaking things up by stealing Andrea from Josh to be his upcoming challenge partner (poor Josh!). Islanders then faced off in “Playing the Field” a spin off on American football that tested couples physical and mental strengths. Kay Kay and Chris took the title of the show’s first “power couple” status, which gave them immunity from the upcoming public vote.
Victory for some meant vulnerability for others. The aftermath of the challenge and recoupling did nothing but thicken the plot. Couples that became vulnerable to public vote were: Nicola & Isaiah, Solene & Mert, and Andrea & Toby. The twist? These couples had to decide whether to put their faith in America’s vote or gamble with “safe” or “dumped” roulette. Islanders chose to leave their faith up to America and the couple who received the fewest votes were Solene and Mert— dumping them from the villa.
The show must go on— and on it did with the villa’s iconic Heart Rate Challenge. Just like it sounds, Islanders work in their couples to do the most in getting other Islander’s heart race up. Chris and Kay Kay turned up the heat, knowing they had to deliver as the reigning power couple. Johnny came in like a man on a mission, leaving half the girls in full-blown tachycardia.
But the real shocker? Isaiah’s pulse skyrocketed when none other than his ex, Sydney Paight (USA Season 4), strutted into the villa as the latest bombshell. Along with Syndey came bombshell Marvin Anthony (France Season 1).
The vitals testing showed that the couple who raised most heart rates was Nicola and Isaiah— the new power couple. And the couples that raised the least amount of heart rates were: Andrea & Toby, Kay Kay & Chris, and Andreina & Johnny.
The new power couple, Nicola and Isaiah were awarded a night in the hideaway (a romantic single room away from other islanders). Tyrique said what we were all thinking, “a friendship couple in the hideaway is crazy.” Nicola is optimistic and believes that “you never know what can happen.”
Meanwhile the other Islanders question new bombshell Syndey’s intentions for joining the show and if she is here for fellow Islander and ex boyfriend Isaiah. However she makes it very clear she is here to “win.”
Back in the hideaway, Isaiah and Nicola were faced with the tough task of choosing two girls and two boys from the vulnerable couples to go head-to-head in a duel— knowing it would end with yet another dumping. For the boys, they selected Johnny versus Chris, while on the girls’ side Andrea was pitted against her bestie in the villa Kay Kay.
The decision didn’t sit well with everyone. Kay Kay and Chris were furious at being targeted and felt completely blindsided. Tensions boiled over as the two refused to even speak to Isaiah and Nicola, making a major fracture in villa friendships.
The girls faced off first, battling through three grueling 45-second rounds. In the end, Andrea took home the win, sending Kay Kay packing. The boys’ duel was cut short when disaster struck— Chris broke his middle finger in the first round. With the medic ruling him unable to continue, Johnny was declared winner by default.
Just like that, both Chris and Kay Kay were sent home. It was a heartbreaking exit, but at least they left together— a bittersweet ending that fits right into the unpredictable reality of Love Island.
As Week 1 closed, the Islanders still standing are:
- Andrea Carmona
- Andreina Santos
- Garbi Denteh
- Isaiah Campbell
- Josh Goldstein
- Johnny Middlebrooks
- Justine Ndiba
- Kendall Washington
- Lucinda Strafford
- Marvin Anthony
- Nicola Gauci Borda-Warr
- Syndey Paight
- Toby Aromolaran
- Tyrique Hyde
