The Love Island franchise has returned with its All Stars spin-off series, featuring former contestants in the South African villa. Although a successful appearance on Love Island was once seen as a pathway to fame and fortune, the profitability of the influencer pathway may be dwindling. Social media influencer contestants are paid by brands to promote their products, but the popularity of such advertisement has been surpassed by paid advertising in Instagram stories and by the success of creating a loyal micro-audience. The popularity of Love Island saw more than 300 people participate in the UK programme alone, yet finalists were rumoured to secure six-figure contracts from fast fashion companies.
The return of names from previous series in Love Island’s new offering raises the question of whether the realities of the traditional pathway from islander to influencer or television star have been altered. The vice president of Sloane House Marketing, Bryleigh Flack, states that influencer popularity is waning due to an oversaturated market. Being a good looking model, she says, is no longer enough to secure a future as a successful influencer. A new type of content creator, the micro-influencer, has emerged in 2025, who may have a smaller following but a specific, engaged audience.
Billy Brown, a cast member from series eight, defends the reality of generating an income from appearing on the show. While many of his contemporaries thought that the show was an easy route to becoming an influencer with a successful online business, he says, “You can earn a lot of money from that show but if you don’t do well, it’s not the case.” Brown believes an islander’s personality is more important than their raw number of followers.
Jake Lee, managing boxer Tommy Fury and sports presenter Mac Griffiths who both rose to fame on the Love Island show, advises prospective reality TV contestants to enter the show with both eyes open. A successful strategy requires more than good looks, and the rapid exposure to companies and advertisers caused by the popularity of a television appearance can be a double-edged sword. The recent falling audience returns for Love Island may also indicate that the culture’s relevance has altered, as recent offerings have drawn figures far below the peak of six million viewers in 2019
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
