Watching Love Island for me marks the start of summer. I can watch holiday romances, flirty banter, and people wearing swimsuits all day pull each other for chats. It’s an escape from the 9 to 5, filled with sunny days and nights around the fire pit.

The show has never been innocent. As many of you probably already know, it’s been rife with red flags, scandals, and drama. But this year’s season of Love Island UK feels like it has a more sinister undercurrent. Something is bubbling below the surface, mainly in the views and behaviour of the male contestants.

Writing for Glamour, Fleurine Tideman says that watching the show “feels like scrolling through Andrew Tate’s TikTok FYP,” that this year’s season of Love Island UK has been brought to us by the “manosphere.” And she’s not wrong.

This year’s series has shone a light on the boys’ behaviour, and often made for uncomfortable viewing. Whether it’s seeing Dejon continue to use the phrase “we’re open” as a means of getting to know every girl that enters the villa or Harrison using cringey football euphemisms to covertly tell other boys how far he had gone with Lauren in the bedroom, alarm bells were ringing.

@.ggeorgina

Referencing Harrison on UK season *** I watch Love island. I said this last year, stop casting misogynistic men. This season has genuinely been CONCERNING as hell. #LoveIsland #loveislanduk #loveislandseason12 #loveislandharrison #misogny #feminist #radfem #manosphere #toxicmasculinity #womensaid #sexism #toxicrelationship

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During the ‘Got the Reciepts’ challenge, Harry shared intimate details about love interest Helena’s past, while also bragging about an orgy he had with a women’s football team. This feels like a game that has one set of rules for her, but a different set for him. Viewers called him out for being a “hypocrite” and “misogynist.”

Tideman explains: “Love, it seems, is not the end goal of Love Island this season. Nor is it even the coveted BoohooMAN brand deal. No, from what I can deduce so far, it’s about power and control.”

And that power also shows itself in the constant stream of ‘tests’ welcomed by the male contestants. They are the ones who hold the power in ‘closing off’ the relationship. You can, again, see it with Dejon and Meg, with her waiting for the final exam to be complete before she can be happy in her couple. Then there is Harrison, who played Toni and Lauren off each other, bouncing between them and withholding the truth about his feelings. And the likes of Conor, who is snaking around the villa, finding a new partner at every recoupling.

During arguments, the male contestants use gaslighting language and also exert their power over the situation by walking away when they deem the conversation to be over. Even occasions such as Ben saying Yas is ‘creating content’ when the two are just having an argument is a way to dominate the situation by downplaying what is being said to him.

@milliegshields

Ben is a raging misogynist get him OUT of that villa and away from any women immediately #loveisland #benloveisland #benandyasmin #yasmin #loveislanduk #misogynistic #misogyny #misogynisticculture #ITV

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Even host Maya Jama has shut some of the men down. At one recoupling scene, Ben spoke up after Maya had asked the girls their views, to which she replied, completely deadpan, “I didn’t really mean like that, Ben, that was unnecessary.”

Following these occurrences, and many more not mentioned, charity Women’s Aid took to Instagram to ask: “What’s going on with the men on Love Island this year?” The post called on people to comment on what toxic behaviour they have noticed this year.

One being dumped Islander Sophie Lee, who commented that the “imbalance of respect and moral values speaks volumes this year.”

 

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One user said: “The comments Harry made to Harrison last week about how good he was at ‘getting away with it’ and how Harrison should aspire to be like him. It was sickening.”

Another commented that the show needs to “introduce a relationship expert to explain how these behaviours are not normal and how they can affect people.”

@livingmy_bethlife

Women’s Aid have called out the behaviour of certain male contestants on Love Island UK and say more needs to be done to educate participants on sexism and misogyny #womensaid #LoveIsland #loveislanduk #loveisland2025 #ukrealitytv #realitytv #whattowatch @Women's Aid

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Women’s Aid has been vocal in calling out these ‘toxic’ and ‘unhealthy’ behaviours seen on the show.

Jessye Werner, communications manager at Women’s Aid, told The Tab: “In recent years, Love Island and other forms of reality TV have been repeatedly called out by viewers for allowing in contestants that had a history of abusive, coercive and manipulative behaviour in previous relationships. As a result, production companies have been more careful when it comes to selecting contestants and calling out toxic behaviours when we see them.

“Despite these positive steps, we still see unhealthy patterns of behaviour on these shows, showing just how steeped in misogyny and sexism our society still is. Women are often lied to, slut-shamed and manipulated, as well as laughed at behind their backs. 

“Misogyny and sexism lay the foundation for the tolerance of abuse and violence – it reinforces a culture that excuses and trivialises violence against women and girls.”

As this season of Love Island continues to play out, there have been a few positive conversations between some of the male contestants. Showing their vulnerable side and being each other’s shoulder to cry on is good to see in a society where we still often come across a ‘real men don’t cry’ attitude.

There was also Cach’s conversation with Harrison, calling him out for his treatment of Toni, reminding him of what it could feel like if someone treated his sister in the same way—but should it take another man reminding you of your sister, mum, or female best friend to make you realise your actions were wrong?

 

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And in an exit interview after leaving the villa, Giorgio Russo—brother to England women’s striker Alessia Russo—was asked about being “too much of a gentleman for Love Island” after he failed to find a connection. Being one of the older contestants at 30, he said how fellow islanders Tommy, Ben, and even Harry, who is the same age, came to him for advice. Giorgio said that they “genuinely don’t know real ways of how respect goes with women.”

Before this year’s season of Love Island launched, its Creative Director Mike Spencer told Capital: “We always have a [psychologist] on site. Our duty of care and welfare is second to none. We are very robust, we have and always will take care of our islanders.

“We have a chart for water, a chart for suncream. Every detail is covered and looked at. It’s our responsibility to make their time the best it can be.”

But as Werner of Women’s Aid adds on The Tab, “more must be done” to educate contestants on sexism and misogyny.

While it’s good to know that the Islanders are drinking their eight glasses a day, at what point does intervention need to look more like tackling unhealthy behaviour on screen and less like the Love Island water bottle?