The Love Island application process is notoriously difficult
While the stars of Love Island may appear effortlessly cool and composed on screen, they've all had to navigate a rather gruelling audition process to secure their spot in the villa.
It's well-known that many contestants undergo significant transformations to prepare for their time in the limelight, but this is merely an optional part of the journey. The actual audition process is incredibly rigorous, with numerous stages to complete.
The first - and arguably least glamorous - step involves filling out an application form detailing your preferences, likes and dislikes, along with any interesting facts about yourself. Following this, applicants are required to create a 60-second video to grab the attention of the casting team.
Amy Hart, a contestant from Season 5, shared her audition video on YouTube, which featured a rapid rundown of her accomplishments and snippets from her day job, interspersed with plenty of direct-to-camera chat. In contrast, Millie Court from Season 7 opted for a different approach, dividing her video between conversation and footage from her nights out.
Those who manage to impress with their videos are then invited for a phone audition, followed by either a Zoom call or an in-person interview. During the interview stage, hopefuls sit across from producers and are filmed as they respond to questions
During Love Island's tenth anniversary special episode, titled Decade of Love, interviews from several now-iconic former Islanders were publicly revealed for the first time.
Molly-Mae reflected on a previous relationship, revealing that her past partner felt she was "too much to handle". Concurrently, Chris Hughes provided a detailed tutorial on his hair styling routine.
Summer Fox, known for her TikTok presence, shared insights from her journey through the application process. She made it as far as the in-person interview stage and recounted being asked to dress as if she were going on a date.
Upon her arrival, Summer joined a group of others all dressed to the nines and vying for a chance to appear on the show, ahead of her individual discussion with the production team.
She remembered: "They look at you like you're a new person walking in, like judging and it feels like you were back at school again."
"You all go into this canteen room and sit down and you have to fill in the forms. It'll ask you what's something secret that not one knows that you've done and I think those are what they use later on in the show in the challenges."
Advice on making a mark with your application varies from former participants. Biggs Chris from Season 6 advises to "have fun and flirt with the person casting," while Scott Thomas from Season 2 encourages candidates to approach with an open heart, urging them to "wear their heart on their sleeve."
Love Island airs Sundays to Fridays at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX
