The eighth season of Love Island UK is currently airing around the world and breaking records as the most streamed Love Island season of all time. This must be at least in part due to the quality of the bombshells this year, whose explosive arrivals have sent shockwaves through the villa at regular intervals.
With surprise entrances, shocking recouplings and secret kisses shared on the terrace, this year’s bombshells are certainly bringing the drama. While enjoying their antics this season, it’s also worth honoring the bombshell icons who came before them during past seasons of the show.
India Reynolds - Season 5
As far as bombshells go, India isn't the most explosive of the bunch, but she did find herself in the middle of one of the show's most nuclear arguments ever. Understandably, Anna Vakili blew her top when Jordan Hames made a move on India just two days after asking the former to be his girlfriend.
It was fellow bombshell Maura Higgins who stirred the pot by relaying Jordan's antics to Anna. The most explosive thing about India was her effortless ability to turn heads then dip out of the drama by coupling up with single man, Ovie Soko.
Georgia Harrison - Season 3
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Georgia found herself in a sticky situation when she was made to choose a boy to couple up with immediately after arriving at the villa. The task was made all the more awkward by the fact that she joined the competition as the final bombshell that year, leaving her no choice but to step on some toes.
Unbeknownst to her, Love Island funnyman Kem Cetinay, whom she had chosen to couple up with, had just asked Amber Davies to be his girlfriend. This unsurprisingly prompted an unfavorable response from Amber, whose expression has since become one of the show’s most famous memes. Georgia’s actions were not intentionally explosive; she just happened to walk into a minefield.
Chris Hughes - Season 3
Chris' shell didn't initially explode upon impact when he entered the villa in Season 3. His charms won over Chloe Crowhurst and the pair soon coupled up, but he later fixed his gaze on Olivia Attwood, whom he knew Sam Gowland had expressed an interest in.
This naturally caused friction between the two men, exploding in an altercation that verged on physical when pair squared up to each other and had to be pulled apart. Chris and Olivia - whose own explosive outbursts have seen her branded one of the worst Love Island contestants of all time - went on to have a turbulent relationship in the villa and beyond. Although inoffensive at first, Chris proved himself as an effective bombshell in this situation.
Malia Arkian - Season 2
Bombshell Malia’s stint in the villa was short and not-so-sweet. She caused a stir with fellow islander Kady McDermitt after choosing to go on a date with her partner, Scott Thomas. Kady later spilled wine on Malia, which the latter assumed to be deliberate, thus igniting one of the most explosive altercations in Love Island history.
Producers swiftly removed Malia after just a few hours in the villa. Kady later alleged that Malia had punched her, but that it was cut from the show due to being too graphic. Malia’s airtime might have been fleeting, but the mark she left on impact is undeniable.
Danica Taylor - Season 8
Danica entered Season 8 with a bang when she revealed herself perched on a giant clam in one of the challenges. Her entrance came as a surprise to her fellow islanders, but it was her decision to couple up with Luca Bish, taking him from Gemma Owen, that sent shockwaves through the villa.
Struggling to find a connection with anyone, Danica later followed her heart and chose to couple up with Jay Younger after he admitted to wanting to pursue Antigoni Buxton, who just had Davide stolen back from her by Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu. This naturally caused some unwarranted tension between the three bombshells.
Emma Jane Woodham - Series 2
Jacques O'Neill is not the first ex to follow their former flame into the villa. Back in Season 2, Thomas Powell was shocked enough to later quit the show when he ex Emma came onto the scene. The shockwaves continued rolling following her explosive entrance, when she coupled up with Terry Walsh who had promised to stay loyal to Malin Andersson.
The couple continued to cause a stir when, between them, they provided one of the show's most controversial moments by having sex on top of the covers in full view of the other islanders. This prompted an Ofcom investigation after the show received numerous complaints from viewers.
Jay Younger - Season 8
Jay entered the villa in Season 8 with a game plan. Making his move on Ekin-Su, he echoed her own declaration when he admitted that he wasn’t there “to make seasonal boyfriends”. Together, they caused a stir by sneaking off to the terrace for secret kisses that triggered an explosive reaction from Ekin-Su’s partner, Davide Sanclimenti.
He later confessed that he wanted to get to know Paige Thorne, which ignited the series’ most dramatic outburst from Ekin-Su and caused tension between Paige and her partner, Jacques. Always at the eye of the storm, this bombshell was in the perfect position to watch his own drama unfold.
Megan Barton-Hanson - Season 4
Back in Season 4, model Megan made waves as every successful bombshell should. After a failed romance with Eyal Booker, Megan stomped on some toes when she successfully split one of the strongest couples in the villa, Wes Nelson and Laura Anderson.
Wes and Laura’s split has been branded the most explosive fight in Love Island history, with Megan receiving some unkind words from Laura for her role in the drama. Despite the destruction they caused between them, Megan and Wes went on to finish in a respectable fourth place that year.
Maura Higgins - Season 5
Ring girl Maura seemed like the perfect match for boxer Tommy Fury, and she knew it. She was confident enough with this knowledge to pursue him despite his being coupled up with Molly-Mae Hague. Although her efforts were unsuccessful, she did succeed in shaking up the villa with her explosive tendencies.
She turned her attention to Curtis Pritchard, who had been in a secure relationship with Amy Hart up until Casa Amor, thus prompting the latter’s departure from the villa. Despite this, she remains a strong favorite among fans, who fondly remember Maura's most memorable moment when she refused to enter the hideaway with Tom Walker after overhearing his inappropriate comments about her.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu - Season 8
Ekin-Su is the unspoken gamemaster of Season 8. She entered the villa and was very open about her intentions from the get-go, causing a stir when she admitted to not being there “to make seasonal girlfriends”. She immediately set her sights on Davide, who she successfully stole from Gemma Owen.
Following her heart, Ekin-Su recoupled with fellow bombshell Jay Younger, after sharing sneaky excursions with him on the terrace which sparked an explosive argument with Davide. Alongside this, she has kept viewers entertained by constantly stirring drama among the contestants, making her the most effective bombshell in Love Island history.