How is the order of recouplings decided? Ex-Love Islanders finally have answers for us

Love Island viewers must have sat through dozens of recouplings over the years. But who chooses which Islanders pick first, and why? Thankfully, the Love Island 2025 contestant Harry Cooksley has finally spilled how the order of Love Island recouplings is decided.

Harry shared on TikTok: “What will happen in the build-up to it: you’ll get head space. So, you’ll speak to the producers and they’ll be like: ‘Who are you thinking? What are you thinking? If there’s a recoupling, who are you going to pick?’ So, they’ll know where everyone’s head is, and that’s how they will decide the order of who goes first and who goes second.”

Harry used the recent recoupling on Love Island: All Stars as an example.

The aforementioned recoupling
(Image via ITV)

“They had obviously spoken to Sher and said: ‘Who are you feeling? Are you into Jack? Are you into Scott? Who are you thinking?’’ And she would have said: ‘I’m more into Scott.’ Then they would have thought: ‘Oh, let’s put all of the Americans first, because, let’s be honest, Sher has just put a cat amongst the pigeons.'”

The season five Islander Anton Danyluk has also shed some light on this. Apparently, the Love Island producers coach contestants so their speeches match the planned order for recouplings. He told Ok!: “You’re not told what to say, but they know who you’re picking before you pick them, so they can put it in a specific order, so it becomes dramatic. Do you never wonder how it works out so dramatic?

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“You have to make your speech not obvious – so I knew I was going to couple up with Belle but the audience didn’t. I couldn’t just say ‘she’s got blonde hair’ – you have to make it quite dramatic.”

Anton and Belle looking super cheerful at the firepit
(Image via ITV)

Harry also shared on his TikTok that the recouplings “were the worst days” to film.

“These were the longest days,” he dished, “the recouplings were so boring. They took ages. Everyone said the same things. Someone will go first and everyone will just repeat it. Some people won’t be able to get their words out. They were long days. And you see about three seconds of people’s speeches, but you have to talk for like two minutes for a lot of them so [the producers] get the right bits.”

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