Hello, Zachariah!
Just when you thought you knew what direction Love Island was heading in, the beloved reality show continues to shake things up.
Not only did the season 10 premiere episode open up with a brand new format change, but the episode ended with yet another major twist. As the batch of new islanders enjoyed their first night in the Mallorca villa together, they all got familiar with one another through a game of truth and dare.
But we should’ve known that the classic game would take a turn in the villa and boy, was there a plot twist. Maya Jama soon entered the villa and challenged the girls to take the game of dares to a whole new level, stating that they should ask themselves “Are you happy or could you be happier?”
Gathering round the fire pit, the islanders stood in their new couples but Maya then told the girls: “If you’re not sure that you’re with the right person, I dare you to step forward now.” As the girls looked round at one another, two stepped forward but not to much surprise.
Ruchee Gurng and Jess Harding stepped forward, stating that they couldn’t feel sparks with their new partners, Mehdi Edno and George Fensom respectively. The news didn’t come as much shock to the boys, who agreed with what the girls said. But there was yet another twist as Maya then took the opportunity to introduce new islander, Zachariah Noble.
The bombshell is the first of the series and entered to stunned faces, who were then all told by Maya that in 24 hours, Zachariah will have the power in his hands. She notified the islanders that Zachariah will get to ‘steal’ any of the girls in front of him, not just Ruchee and Ella who have stepped forward and made it evident that they’re not happy in their couples. But who will he couple up with?
Whoever Zachariah chooses is obviously his own decision but it will leave one of the boys single and vulnerable.
The 25-year-old from south London is sure to get hearts racing and has said that he’s “pretty tall and confident in myself”. In his promo video, he stated that he’s “officially ready to settle down and find my queen” and before coming into the villa, told ITV: “Being 25, I’m at a crossroads where I’ve been having fun, but I also want to have the peace and harmony that comes from being with the right woman.”
Bombshell Alert! 💣
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) June 5, 2023
25-year-old Basketball player Zachariah is hoping the Villa can turn his love life into a slam dunk! 🏀 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/IpQAhE7zUd
Elsewhere in the first episode of the summer 2023 season, the new couples were decided by the public and it made for one very awkward encounter between Ella and Tyrique, who had actually met before entering the villa. But the situation was only made more uncomfortable by the fact that Tyrique couldn’t remember meeting Ella, later saying it was likely because she had blonde hair at the time.
The explosive game of truth and dare also saw the islanders share some of their first kisses in the villa, with Mitchel and Molly sharing a kiss and Jess making her feelings for Mitchell clear by picking him to kiss also. Catherine also made her intentions clear with André but similarly shared a kiss with Tyrique. Are the love triangles already forming in the villa? We’ll have to find out and see.
Love Island returns to ITV2 and ITVX on Monday 5th June 2023 at 9pm. You can watch all previous seasons of Love Island on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.
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