A holding villa and still no phone: What happens in the days after an Islander is dumped

It’s a sad sad time when an Islander gets sent packing. Some are in the villa for weeks, whilst others walk through the famous Love Island doors and are dumped within a matter of days. But that’s not the end of their journey, not by any means.

After the huge villa doors close behind them and they wheel their personalised white suitcases down the drive, there’s a whole new life ahead of most Islanders. But in their first few days of newfound freedom, there’s a pretty strict routine they have to follow.

From being chaperoned around, to not getting their phones back – here is a rundown of exactly what the Love Island cast members have ahead of them, in the days after they are dumped from the villa.

After being dumped, Islanders have around 20 minutes to pack their bags

It’s a very quick turnaround between Islanders finding out their time is up and having to walk out the doors. In a chat with Ok! Magazine, 2020 Islander Shaughna Phillips confirmed: “It’s not that long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t actually pack all your stuff, you basically just pack things you definitely don’t want to lose and then overnight stuff, pyjamas, makeup, things like that.”

She then said the rest of your luggage comes later, and is packed by your fellow Islanders! “Your other stuff comes out a few days later and the people in the villa actually pack it for you – so hope that you’ve made good friends!” she said.

You film your exit from the villa loads of times

We should know by now, barely anything on Love Island is filmed just once. Shaughna also said your exit from the villa is filmed multiple times, so by the time you get the perfect shot, you’re fed up of saying goodbye and smiling. “It doesn’t take too long, but sometimes you have to do your whole exit a few times,” she said. “So on the third or fourth time of you leaving the villa, you don’t actually care anymore. You’re just like ‘listen, I’ve said my goodbyes!’”.

Then, the Islanders head off to a ‘holding villa’ for a few days before flying home

After an Islander is dumped from Love Island, they are placed into a holding villa – they don’t necessarily end up on the next flight home. They can be staying in the other villa for days, and have security and chaperones with them during their stay. Shaughna said: “You have a security guard, chaperones, and for me, I left the villa on a Wednesday, and I didn’t actually fly home until the Saturday night, so I was still over there for three or four days before I left.”

Whilst there, you do some press things and you might do some filming for Aftersun. Shaughna said she used this time to chill out and relax. “You’re not even really allowed to watch telly, you can maybe watch a movie, but the chaperone is in charge of the remote control! You can’t watch any news,” she said.

The Islanders don’t get their phones back for a number of days

If you were an Islander, admit it, you’d be straight back on your phone and checking your Instagram followers and if you have any juicy DMs. But they can’t! They don’t get their phones back straight away. During this “lockdown” period in the holding villa, ex-Islanders aren’t allowed their phones. Depending on who’s supervising them, their understanding of what’s gone on in the outside world is limited.

2017 star, Jonny Mitchell, said: “You still don’t have any real concept of what’s happened but I had a pretty good idea of what was going on because I had a good chaperone. He was feeding me bits of information. I’d just had five weeks of sunbathing so I didn’t really want to do any more.” Must be awful.

Shaughna added: “You still don’t have your phone. I didn’t have access to my phone for the whole time I was still over there, for the four days. So you’re kind of…you’re ready now to go home and see what’s waiting for you.”

Contestants are handed their phones back after a few days of lockdown, usually to discover their social media followings have increased massively.

ITV tells them what’s been said about them on social media

Love Island becomes a huge online talking point every year, and each year Islanders are targeted by trolls, become viral memes and have huge fan followings on social media. While under ITV’s supervision, dumped Islanders are told what has been said about them on social media and in the press.

Dumped Islanders head to the airport on their own

Series two contestant Malin Andersson described how, despite the psychiatrists and supervised exists, the transition is still brutal. She said: “You go to Palma airport, on your own, and then boom, you’re in reality.”

For the finalists, the airport can be chaotic. Olivia Attwood’s reunion with her family was filmed for ITV2, and she explained: “We saw them for an hour and then we were rushed off and did some more filming. Until about three days after I got back, I didn’t see my family properly. You needed your parents there but we had filming to do – there was press. That was the first time we got put into this kind of world.”

Back in the UK, and Islanders are put up in a London hotel

When they land, Islanders get to stay in the same London hotel, and are allowed to share a room with their partner if they managed to find one on the show.

And then the life as an influencer and reality TV name begins!

Once they’re settled back on home soil and into life, the careers of a lot of Love Islanders take a swift turn. They get approached by management agencies and have brand deals thrown at them, and are in hot demand for interviews and podcasts. In recent years, the Islanders have had training before the show on money management and their careers after – so they should at least be somewhat prepared.

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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• All the strict rules the Islanders have to follow whilst in the Love Island villa

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• All the items the Islanders are banned from having in the Love Island villa