Love Island’s first female bombshells are always the icons of the season, here’s the evidence

Supposedly, contestants enter the Love Island villa to find the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with. But, as has been admitted by numerous former Islanders, they also enter the show for success and fame, which boils down to one thing: Popularity. And Love Island fans think they’ve found the key to identifying who’ll be the It Girl icon of each season— look no further than the first female bombshell. Or, if you like, FFB.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of this theory, here’s the highlight reel of the first female bombshells from all significant seasons:

• Jessica Shears, season three
• Georgia Steel, season four
• Molly Mae, season five
• Chloe Burrows, season 7
• Ekin Su, season eight
• Zara, season nine

All FFBs quickly cement themselves in the heart of the Love Island audience and go on to more success than almost anyone else in their Love Island cohort. So, what’s the draw of the new entry?

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Ekin crawling across the balcony to snog Jay, Chloe’s infamous “hey boys” voice note, Molly beckoning Tommy to the hot tub: For audiences, bombshells cause ruthless amounts of drama and put an end to the boring sunbathing and swimming all the other contestants enjoy in the three days before their arrival. They remind Islanders of what Love Island is: a competition.

“Zara has had the privilege of being able to turn up late and upset the apple cart giving her a bit of an upper hand,” explains Natasha Ivanovic, Intimacy Expert at Kiiroo.  “Much like Chloe Burrows and Ekin Su before her, Zara won’t be too shy to step on a few toes to get what or who she wants, which is bound to cause plenty of drama, which as viewers we lap up.”

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But just why are bombshells so irresistible to Islanders themselves? Surely, on a show centred around good looks, others contestants are hot enough for a pretty face and flawless abs not to be the only pull?

“As with all reality TV shows, producers love to throw a spanner in the works,” explains Natasha. “So, with the bombshells on Love Island it’s not so much saving the best [looking person] until last as saving the most confident until last. There is little else men or women find as attractive in a partner as confidence.”

Clearly, this is true of Zara – this year’s FFB. She took down Ron and sent his head “swivelling” after just one date. She wowed Tom with her height (5ft9) despite the eternal Love Island type being “small and blonde”, she did a Beyonce-themed model catwalk for Will, and had almost everyone trying to snog her in last night’s dramatic game of beer pong.

“You can already see the impact Zara’s arrival has had on the girls already in the villa who have been declaring their feelings,” says Natasha. “[They’re] keen to mark their territory now this new threat has arrived, perhaps encouraging them to commit more quickly to secure their man.”

Essentially, FFB’s send the girls scrambling and the boys into aroused and confused tatters. There’s little more iconic on a show like Love Island than to have everyone after you and bombshells have the confidence to make the most of it. Flirting, stepping on toes, being outrageously daring— it’s what they’ve been sent there to do.

And the best part is, there’s no risk when you’re the first new girl in the villa because the power is totally in the woman’s hands. Whichever guy she doesn’t pick, ultimately gets sent packing. Queen level energy.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• A brief history of all of Olivia’s desperate attempts to get famous before Love Island

• Tanyel has spoken about all the pre-Love Island cosmetic surgery she’s had done

• Love Island’s Haris says he’s never had a girlfriend but yikes, these TikToks say otherwise