Love Island Gossip Column: Rachel BEGS to go back in and are producers hiding footage?!

Welcome to The Tab’s Love Island 2021 gossip round-up, bringing you the pettiest drama, most scandalous rumours and the least believable tabloid exclusives from around the web.

Ofcom could pull the show if it fails contestants over trolling

According to reports today, Love Island risks being axed unless it can comply with new protocols over contestant treatment and the duty of care for people it features. Adam Baxter, Ofcom’s Director of Broadcasting Standards, says the television watchdog has put in regulations to guard the well-being of participants in shows which includes preventing programmes from being broadcasted.

“We’re talking about shows like Love Island that attract a high level of media or social-media interest, involve conflict, emotionally challenging situations, or require a person to disclose life-changing or private aspects of their lives,” Baxter said. “We’ve also made clear that, before a person agrees to take part in a TV or radio show, broadcasters must properly tell them about any possible risks to their welfare, and how they’ll seek to minimise these.”

He added to the Radio Times: “We have the power in the most serious of cases to fine broadcasters or take away their licence to broadcast. However, we would only use these powers in the most exceptional of cases.”

One couple risks being DUMPED tonight!!!

At the end of last night’s episode we had to vote for the couples we think are most compatible. The couple which receives the least amount of votes risks being dumped from the villa in tonight’s episode. If that is the case, the couple who have been chosen to leave will be packing their bags ASAP and on a flight back home.

Or, maybe Love Island bosses will throw in a curveball and the Islanders will have to pick who to save and who to dump from the bottom couple? Could we have a Theo 2.0 “I think if Tyla really liked him she should go as well really” moment?

People think the producers are hiding footage from us and it… makes sense

After last night’s recoupling, a lot of people have being saying that producers must be hiding footage from us. We were all a bit baffled that Hugo picked Sharon after their huge row and where has this friendship between Kaz and Aaron come from?! This has led a lot of people to believe that there is no other explanation to these things happening other than that conversations have taken place between these Islanders that we haven’t been able to see. Love Island explain. 👀

Rachel has said she would ‘beg’ to go back into the Love Island villa

Last night saw the dumping of Rachel, after new boy Teddy chose to couple up with Faye over her. In her exit interview, Rachel made it very clear that she would do pretty much anything to go back in the villa. When asked if she wanted to, she said: “Honestly, I would beg to go in. If you want to send me back in at any point, I’d do it. I’d be unapologetic, strong and forthright. I would definitely go back in and be ready to stir the pot until the pot broke.” Someone needs to tell her straight that nobody would back this and the pot is fine as it is.

She also said she wishes she had picked Chuggs

Rachel’s tragic Love Island tale began when she chose Brad over Chuggs and then Brad mugged her off and cracked on with Lucinda. So now, Rachel is admitting that Chuggs might just be the one that got away. “I would have picked Chuggs over Brad,” she said when asked if she made any mistakes. “Knowing what I know now. You have to graft to stay in there. I was stupid enough to fall for Brad’s graft, because it wasn’t genuine. The day after we coupled, he told me to get to know other people. He wasn’t interested. The second I picked him, he went off to his friends and said ‘I was gutted I wasn’t going to see you.’ Chuggs would have actually made the effort to get to know me. I went for Brad because he was more physically attractive.”

Yikes.

Rachel added that all the Islanders are ‘capable of playing a game’

In her interview she also didn’t hold back from going in on her fellow Islanders, saying that right now nobody is playing a game, but they are all capable of it. “The last two days people are starting to do things that didn’t match their personality when they went in,” she said.

Everyone is absolutely grossed out at last night’s challenge

Last night saw the return of the gross challenge where Islanders have to transport food from A to B via their mouths. It’s disgusting and every single time it comes around the nation retches in sync. This year was of course no different, and tbh, the sight of Toby jet-spraying pesto into Chloe’s mouth will haunt my brain for the rest of my being.

Shaughna has called the guys this year ‘trash’ 😬

Winter Islander, Shaughna Phillips, has labelled the guys of Love Island 2021 as “trash”. During her appearance on Love Island: Aftersun, she was asked to give her opinion on this year’s contestants and said: “I like Liberty but I don’t like the couple Liberty is in.” She added that she “doesn’t like Jake” and said “Teddy is giving me Ovie vibes. He’s cool. He’s calm. All of the originals: trash.”

Amber Davies is reportedly ‘secretly back’ with her ex

Love Island 2017 winner, Amber Davies, is apparently back with her ex who she broke up with earlier this year. Amber was dating operations manager, Nick Kyriacou, but they split up six months after she declared he was “the one”. Apparently they are giving things another go, after secretly getting back together last month.

A source said: “Things got way too intense too fast, and lockdown amplified everything. But when they were apart it made them realise how much they did love each other. Now, they’re taking it slow. Amber is keeping Nick off social media, but it’s not a secret to their friends and family – he went with her to visit her family this weekend.”

Ex-Islander Tom Powell is dating someone from MAFS

And in more ex-Islanders in new relationships news, season two’s Tom Powell is now dating Tamara Joy from Married at First Sight Australia. Speaking on Simon Gross’s Love Island Extra Show, Tom said: “I’m dating someone off Married at First Sight. Do you know the Australian Married at First Sight? So, Tamara off there. She’s flown over from Australia. She’s been here for a month, six weeks now.”

Love Island 2021 continues on ITV2 at 9pm tonight. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

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• Love Island Gossip Column: Which two Islanders already matched on Tinder? Plus Lucinda will be show’s ‘richest star’

• Who the Love Island 2021 cast should actually couple up with, based on their star signs

• Photo dump! Check out the pictures the Islanders have taken on their phones in week one