With millions of viewers each season, Love Island serves as a launchpad for its stars to step directly into the spotlight and a new life filled with fame and money.
Typically, we see these adored and iconic Islanders become influencers , leaving their previous day jobs behind.
Even if you’ve never watched a minute of 'Love Island', chances are you’re familiar with stars like Molly-Mae Hague or Ekin-Su. And that’s a HUGE testament to their star power and influence after leaving the show.
But is it really as simple as snapping a pic, tagging a brand, and earning $50K on the spot? How has the ‘Love Island’ business model morphed over time, and how do people make the most of it? Ya know, just in case you were thinking of applying. 😉
Let's start with the obvious queen, Molly-Mae.
Before taking the villa by storm, she was just a young woman posting YouTube reviews of her PrettyLittleThing packages in her bedroom.
Molly admits that going on 'Love Island' was a business decision, but she also happened to fall in love with her now ex-fiancé, Tommy Fury.
In her most recent docuseries ‘Molly-Mae: Behind It All’, which follows her navigating post-break up life, she says: "I was going on 'Love Island' because I knew the kind of work I was in, it was going to help me. I did go into 'Love Island' as a business move but I did end up finding love."
She left the villa with a hot man by her side and a career opportunity that could make her millions.
And it did.
Molly has become the definition of a powerhouse. Brands are fighting to work with her. She’s racked up 8.4 million IG followers, and owns several businesses, with her most recent clothing brand ‘Maebe’ already a roaring success since its launch in September 2024.
Not to mention, she’s a mumma to the cutest wee girl, Bambi. Although Molly and Tommy have split, things haven’t slowed down the reality star - she still remains as influential as ever.
The ‘Love Island’ success train doesn’t stop there. Many ex-islanders have appeared on other TV shows, launched businesses or embraced the influencer life. There’s some SERIOUS moola to be made here, and they know it.
The likes of Kem Cetinay (S3), Olivia Attwood (S3), Maura Higgins (S5), Tasha Ghouri (S8) and Ekin Su Cülcüloğlu (S8), have reported net worths of over $2M each.
That's all well and good, but the path is far from easy. This lifestyle demands 24/7 maintenance, from creating content to engaging with fans, while constantly appearing in the public eye.
Chloe Burrows, another ex-islander, explored the pressures of the public eye in her recent documentary ‘Untold: Love In The Limelight’.
She learned from islander couples Liam Reardon and Millie Court, along with Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey, that they had staged arguments in the past to make money from paparazzi opportunities.
Chloe decided to test whether she could boost her fame and income by faking a relationship.
She made public appearances with ‘Too Hot to Handle’ star Harry Johnson, and sure enough, paparazzi ATE it up. Clothing brands also took the bait, sliding into her DMs, and she was offered money to do media interviews.
So the question is - would you be willing to exchange authenticity for relevancy like some of these stars have?
The other thing influencers are up against these days is how many other people are trying to do the same thing.
Just five years ago, audiences were hungry for content, but since then - thanks to the likes of TikTok - there's too many creators to choose from. Even people with small followings are considered ‘micro-influencers’ who deliver to a niche and dedicated audience.
To add to this, 'Love Island’s' 2019 season peaked at 6 million viewers but has recently declined to between 1-2 million.
Although the show still provides laughs and drama to screens around the world night by night, it seems the ‘business decision’ aspect may not be what it once was.
Could the phenomenon be over? And if so, what's next?
