Slow-mo dances and extra cameras: The awkward behind the scenes of music acts on Love Island

Every year on Love Island one of the nights includes the Islanders being treated to some live music in the villa. It’s usually a chart-topper whose dropped the song of summer, and the cast awkwardly dance around the villa garden.

In an interview with OK! Magazine, 2022 Islander Luca Bish has shared all the behind the scenes secrets of what really happens when a music act or DJ is invited to the villa to play for the cast. On his season, Becky Hill came to meet the Islanders and play them some of her songs – here’s what he had to say about how it worked. In short it sounds, awkward.

via ITV

The Islanders aren’t allowed any extra alcohol

You might think the Islanders are allowed a little extra alcohol on these kind of nights, maybe to loosen them up and help them enjoy it a bit more, but no! The Islanders are under very strict alcohol rules, and there are only very specific times when these limits are lifted.

The cast are shut in the villa whilst the performer rehearses

Luca told OK! Magazine the Islanders were “shut in the villa” ahead of Becky Hill performing for them, to give her time to rehearse her set. He said they were left there for “at least a few hours” and music was blasted into the villa, so they couldn’t hear what was going on outside, and work out who the guest performer was.

“It was the only time we got music played in the villa,” he said. “She was rehearsing and we weren’t allowed to hear who it was, so when we came out it was all a surprise.”

via ITV

The act is only on for about 10-minutes

Does anyone else wonder how long the act is actually on for? There was me thinking the Islanders are treated to a full concert-level set for an entire evening, but Luca has said the acts are in the villa for 10 minutes. Yep. That’s like…three songs.

Yes, the slow-mo dancing is as awkward as it looks

via ITV

The straight up worst bit of when we see music and big party nights in the Love Island villa is the slow-mo dancing clips the show puts on. Expect a real close-up of an Islander’s face, panning down to them twerking up someone, and then a cutaway of a gold wine glass being risen in the air. All at half speed, of course.

They’re awkward and toe-curling for us as an audience, but they’re just as bad for the Islanders, too. “The dancing for the nights or the parties you win…you’re dancing a lot of the time in silence,” Luca said. “With a team of guys with cameras that come in just for that – the slow-mo shots of you dancing. So yeah, it’s not the most comfortable scenes.”

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