Love Island UK season 8 contestant Jacques O'Neill didn’t attend the reunion episode, leading many fans to wonder why. Jacques entered the Love Island villa early in the season and left long before the final episode. While in the villa, he was coupled up with a 24-year-old paramedic, Paige Thorne. However, viewers were quick to spot some red flags in their relationship, and the 23-year-old rugby player received a lot of criticism from viewers for his manipulative behavior towards Paige.
Jacques and Paige's relationship took another hit when, during Casa Amor, Jacques moved on with newcomer Cheyenne Kerr. Nonetheless, after the "Love House," Jacques returned to Paige, calling his short fling with Cheyenne a "test." Jacques and Paige's relationship ended for good when the new bombshell and former season 4 contestant Adam Collard stepped into the villa and began to approach the stunning paramedic. Jacques couldn't bear to watch the infamous Love Island hunk getting to know Paige, so he decided to leave the show altogether. After his departure, Paige and Adam became romantically involved, and they are still dating outside the villa. It seems that Jacques is still upset about what happened on Love Island UK, as he was the only contestant who didn’t attend the season 8 reunion.
According to The Daily Mail, Jacques snubbed the reunion because he was "just not ready to see Paige quite yet and especially not with Adam." During Jacques' time on Love Island UK, he began to struggle with his emotional health. In fact, Jacques later described the show as a traumatic experience and the "worst decision" of his life. Moreover, the huge amount of criticism he’s been receiving on social media has also been draining for him. It's possible that Jacques' not attending the reunion was not only about seeing Paige and Adam but also to protect his mental health and not be subjected to another barrage of criticism on social media.
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Despite his own struggles with online hate, Jacques has recently come under fire for dragging another season 8 Islander, Tasha Ghouri, in a private Instagram story that was leaked online. As a result, fans have been wondering why Jacques would continue to engage in bullying behavior when he, if anyone, should be aware of the impact it can have on one's mental well-being. According to The Daily Mail, Tasha's father also joined the debate, sharing his opinion of Jacques on Twitter. "Some people grow and mature from their Love Island experience, some don't. It is what it is." Tasha's father said.
Many Love Island UK contestants have discussed the online hate and mental health problems they experienced after the show. Jacques has also been praised for speaking openly about his experiences and participating in the discussion about men’s mental health. Although the controversial season 8 Islander was not seen at the reunion show, fans are left wondering whether Jacques will meet Paige sometime later and apologize and how their dispute will unfold.
Source: Daily Mail