Fans have been glued to their TV screens, eagerly watching a new group of Love Island hopefuls keen to find lasting love under the sun.
Someone who knows the process all too well – and even managed to find The One during her time in the villa – is 2020 contestant Molly Smith, who coupled up with Callum Jones in Casa Amor.
And Molly, 28 – who has lived with Callum, 26, since the show – tells Closer that things are better than ever with her former scaffolder beau, and she’s even hoping he’ll pop the question.
She laughs, “I’m going to have to start saying ‘engagement rings’ into his phone, so the targeted ads come up! I’d obviously love to get married, but we’re taking it as it comes and enjoying the pace that we’re going at.”
She adds, “I’d never say never to babies, but we’re just not quite ready yet – we have our two dogs, our fur babies!”
Callum was originally coupled with Shaughna Phillips, 28, during their series in South Africa. But his head was turned when he got to know Molly in Casa Amor, and viewers were on the edge of their seats wondering which of the girls he would choose. Returning to the main house, Shaughna stood alone while Callum recoupled with Molly.
Despite the drama, Molly now says that she and Shaughna – who racked up 1.5m Instagram followers after being on the show and starred on Celebs Go Dating and The Real Full Monty recently – are on good terms.
She says, “Even in the villa, me and Shaughna got on so well. Obviously it was a little bit awkward at the start, but it was absolutely fine. She messaged me the other day, and I saw her at an event with Callum a couple of months ago, and we were having a good chat. There’s absolutely no tension. She’s so lovely – we get on really well.”
Love Island’s huge popularity – with last week’s launch episode attracting 3m viewers – has meant that former Islanders have skyrocketed to stardom. Season four contestant Dr Alex has written his own book, fronted documentaries and has his own podcast. Meanwhile, 2019 star Molly Mae Hague has racked up 6.3m followers and is now worth around £4.5m.
Molly has also found success, releasing clothing lines with I Saw It First and launching an activewear range last year.
She says, “Love Island itself is amazing, like an all-inclusive holiday that you never want to end, and it gives you amazing opportunities. And I really do feel so lucky to have met Callum – it’s nice to have someone close to me who has been through all that craziness.
“Because with fame, there is trolling of course. If you put yourself out there on social media, you’re going to get trolling. I tend to delete the comment, block the account and try to ignore it.”
Fans have also seen many of the show’s stars change their physical appearance after finding fame, thanks to procedures such as Botox, fillers, and other, more major operations.
Molly had a boob job last year and says that, while she doesn’t promote surgery, she wishes she had gone through with it sooner.
“It’s something that I’d always wanted to do, but I could never find the right time,” she reveals. “I feel so much more confident in clothes now and even in my work, as I used to model quite a lot of underwear and wasn’t filling it out, which I found embarrassing. It’s made me feel so much better and, looking back, I wish I’d had it done it sooner.
“But I’ve never had Botox or anything like that. I’m not against it and I think if people want to have it done, that’s fine – it’s just not for me. The thought of injections in my face scares me – I’ve just had a spot on my lip and that was painful enough!”
My tips for the Islanders
Don’t use game plans
“Although there’s sometimes talk about ‘game plans’ on Love Island, I don’t think there’s any way you can really go into that villa and have a plan. There’s no point trying to be someone you’re not or hoping to control the situation, so just go with it. Trust the process.”
Believe in yourself
“It’s so nerve-wracking going into the villa, and I had times when I doubted myself on there, especially as I came in from Casa Amor. Remember that you’ve been chosen to be on this show, so own it!”
Be selfish
“At the end of the day, you’re in there for yourself, so do what you want to do. Obviously, go about it in a nice and respectful way. But don’t try to please people. Soak it all up, have fun and follow your heart.”
Molly underwent her cosmetic surgery at Transform Hospital Group. For more information, visit transforminglives.