It is Love Island? Or Influencer Island?

It's that time of year again where just before nine, millions of viewers boil the kettle and sit down with a gigantic chocolate bar as they prepare to watch ITV2's Love Island. Now a staple fixture in the summer TV schedule, the show's premise sees young singletons attempt to find love on an eight-week Majorcan holiday, with the chance of bagging a 50k cash prize. But is love really what these contestants are looking for?

The cast of Love Island 2022 (Image: ITV)

Influencer Island

While Olivia [Bowen] and Alex [Bowen] and Camilla [Thurlow] and Jamie [Jewitt] are among the names to have found lasting love on the show - both couples are still together and have children. Unfortunately, I can't help but feel that the last few seasons, including this one, have not felt as genuine as intended.

Alex and Olivia found love on the show in 2016 and are now parents to baby, son Abel. (Image: ITV)

Love Island is meant to see regular members of the public try and find love. However, only three members of the starting cast this year applied to be a contestant on the show. It is believed the rest were all scouted by series researchers through their social media pages.

Should we be surprised, though? You only need to look at the likes of Molly-Mae [Hague], Maura [Higgins] and Amber [Gill] to see that Love Island is an invaluable platform for self-promotion if you make the right impression on viewers. The trio have all gained more individual Insta followers than massive stars like Kylie Minogue.

Molly-Mae on Love Island in 2019 (Image: ITV)

With previous Island alumni becoming successful influencers, entrepreneurs and, in one case, a UK Government ambassador, it is easy to believe that love isn't the only thing on the cast of 2022's minds.

First Impressions Of The 2022 Cast

Unfortunately, I feel that Love Island 2022 is set to be the worst season yet. In my opinion, it would be almost impossible to topple the supremacy of the third season. None of the cast seem to have the same charisma or the likeability factor as Chris [Hughes] and Kem [Cetinay]. Instead, they appear to be more interested in doing whatever they can to gain screen time. Like last year, I feel that the producers will have a lot of meddling and staging to do if they want the season to succeed.

Allowing viewers to choose the series' initial couples provided a much-needed twist to the opening format. Unfortunately, this provided an uncomfortable first episode, where the conversations proved drier than the Sahara Desert. It also meant that some were less than happy with their match (I'm looking at you, Indiyah). Although after a rocky start, Indiyah and Ikenna have come a long way and have finally shared their first kiss.

Most of these incompatible couples were harmless, but a match that definitely raised a few red flags was Davide and Gemma. Having only turned 19 last month, footballer Michael Owen's daughter Gemma was almost nine years younger than her former Italian partner. I wasn't the only one to notice, as "Gemma's age" was trending on Twitter during this season's third episode.

Davide and Gemma on Love Island 2022 (Image: ITV)

The introduction of actress Ekin-Su as a bombshell managed to end the unsuitable pairing of Davide and Gemma, and Gemma settled on fishmonger Luca Bish who is 23. However, the subject of Gemma's age raised its ugly head again when her ex-boyfriend Jacques O'Neill entered the villa, and it was revealed the pair started dating when she was 16 and he was 20.

And while all the contestants on the show are consenting adults, it doesn't mean that Love Island should be seen to be encouraging age-gap relationships, especially as teenagers make up a significant percentage of the programme's audience.

Are These the Kind of Influencers the World Needs?

Unconsciously, the series will have an unmistakable impact on its viewership, so it's refreshing to see some positive changes.

The series has parted ways with its fast-fashion partner, I SAW IT FIRST, in favour of the re-sale site eBay. While I still find it unlikely that viewers will use eBay as their bikini-shopping destination, endorsing sustainability is a step in the right direction.

While the show has been accused for its lack of diversity, contestant Tasha Ghori is the show's first-ever deaf contestant. It's brilliant to see more inclusivity in the show's cast, yet it's a shame that the same inclusivity doesn't apply to body image.

That said, a lot can happen in eight weeks, and only time will tell if these contestants will make the most of their fifteen minutes of fame.