If you are a fan of “Orange Is The New Black”, perhaps you remember the scene where our strict superintendent was watching Love Island after a long tiring day in a corrupt immigrant detention center. “I want the hot, glistening bodies to zap away my brain and my day”, she murmured while relaxing on the sofa, the screen was playing the first episode of season 4, in which a personal trainer from New Castle laid his eye on a svelte retail manager from Blackpool. That was her way to escape all the stress and drama, and many of us do the same.
Let’s admit it: Dating reality shows are our guilty pleasure. On a free evening, I could spend hours watching First Dates and Married At First Sight. Still, none of them can match Love Island’s level of excitement. Though just introduced to audiences in 2015, the show’s original version quickly merged itself with British pop culture and gained millions of viewers across the country. IMDb users even refer to the show as “the UK summer event”, regarding the number of online conversations Love Island generated. People just couldn’t stop sharing opinions, memes, and theories about the Islanders, thus every season becomes an ever-present topic on social media.
But we shall leave the legendary British version for another day. Today, I would like to talk about its Australian version, which many Twitter users consider “better than the original”. This generous compliment is mainly thanks to the Love Island Australia cast: Sexy singles in full swing, grafting their way to the $50,000 prize. After the show, though, have you ever wonder where they are now and what they are doing?
Table of Contents
About Love Island Australia
The first season of Love Island Australia was released in 2018, 3 years after the UK version. Following the original format, a group of men and women (referred to as “islanders”) live in a luxury villa that is separated from the outside world, in an attempt to find love and genuine connections. Throughout the series, the islanders are required to “couple up” if they want to stay in the show. On the first day, these contestants can choose their partners based on the first impression, but as the show goes on, they need to “re-couple”, whether to stay with their initial partner or change to someone else.
Any Islander who is left single after the “coupling up” process has to leave the show. Aside from that, others can eliminate them through public votes. Like its British counterpart, Australian citizens can vote for their favorite Islanders via the show’s application. Couples who receive the least votes can no longer stay in the villa.
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Source: Radio Times
Love Island Australia might not be the first version adopted by the franchise, but it is certainly the most welcomed by the public. “Sophie Monk was awesome as a host and Eoghan McDermott did a great job narrating the show, but the success mostly came from the contestants”, user jkolden-53762 wrote on IMDb, “it has even more drama than the UK version, which will take audiences on a roller coaster of feelings. Not only will you have some good laughs, but you will shed tears at some point as well. I challenge you to find more heartwrenching scenes of emotional transparency!”
Just like the UK version, the first season of Love Island Australia took place in Mallorca, Spain. The list of 22 contestants, or “Islanders” was released only one week before the show started airing:
| Islander | Age | Occupation | Entered |
| Tayla Damir | 21 | Beauty Queen | Day 1 |
| Grant Crapp | 22 | Electrician | Day 1 |
| Eden Dally | 25 | Prison Officer | Day 1 |
| Erin Barnett | 23 | Nurse | Day 1 |
| Amelia Plummer | 23 | Nutrition Student | Day 23 |
| Josh Moss | 25 | Sport Administrator | Day 1 |
| Dom Thomas | 26 | Project Manager | Day 16 |
| Shelby Bilby | 25 | Event Management Student | Day 23 |
| Mark O’Dare | 26 | Model | Day 31 |
| Millie Fuller | 24 | Doggy Daycare Worker | Day 1 |
| Edyn Mackney | 22 | Social Media Manager | Day 14 |
| Teddy Briggs | 25 | Model | Day 31 |
| Kory Grant | 28 | Concreter | Day 31 |
| Jaxon Human | 24 | Stripper/Tennis Coach | Day 11 |
| Françoise Draschler | 28 | Marketing Executive | Day 8 |
| Cassidy McGill | 24 | Barmaid | Day 1 |
| Elias Chigros | 27 | Personal Trainer | Day 4 |
| Justin Lacko | 27 | International Model | Day 1 |
| Natasha Cherie | 24 | Beauty Salon Owner | Day 1 |
| John James Parton | 32 | DJ | Day 4 |
| Kim Hartnett | 21 | Hairdresser/Bikini Model | Day 2 |
| Charlie Taylor | 22 | International Rugby Player | Day 1 |
Season 1
Season 1 created quite a hit with over 150 million views from its official Youtube channel. It had all the drama you can ask from a reality show, from the Islanders cheating on their partners to additional contestants trying to steal partners and break couples apart. If there was any flaw, then critics said that the cast lack of diversity, but it didn’t make Love Island Australia any less thrilling.
Season 2
Season 2 of Love Island Australia was premiered on 7 October 2019. This time, the show took place in Fiji, which was not far away from Australia’s mainland. This was an attempt to add more new members at short notice, thus feature more twists to the show. The producer also tried to add more variety to the cast:
| Islander | Age | Occupation | Entered |
| Anna McEvoy | 27 | Model | Day 4 |
| Josh Packham | 25 | Mortgage Broker | Day 8 |
| Cartier Surjan | 19 | Lifeguard | Day 1 |
| Matthew Zukowski | 23 | Wrestler/Model | Day 1 |
| Aaron Deacon Shaw | 27 | Model/Former Soldier | Day 17 |
| Cynthia Taylu | 23 | Model | Day 1 |
| Jessie Wynter | 23 | Waitress | Day 1 |
| Todd Elton | 26 | Former Australia Football League Player | Day 21 |
| Blake Williamson | 28 | Plumber/Personal Trainer | Day 21 |
| Margarita Smith | 26 | Aged Care Worker | Day 28 |
| Adam Farrugia | 27 | Plasterer | Day 1 |
| Isabelle Green | 27 | Home Carer | Day 15 |
| Luke Packham | 25 | Synthetic Grass Installer | Day 8 |
| Cassia Lansdell | 26 | Executive Assistant | Day 1 |
| Gerald Majda | 23 | Personal Trainer | Day 8 |
| Bianca Furchtman | 25 | Sales Executive | Day 15 |
| Jordan Cayless | 28 | Hairdresser | Day 15 |
| Eoghan Murphy | 24 | Real Estate Agent | Day 2 |
| Angel Ellis-Holley | 19 | Model | Day 15 |
| Tea Frazer | 20 | Retail Assistant | Day 15 |
| Maurice Salib | 27 | Media Executive | Day 1 |
| Vanessa Joli | 24 | Business Woman | Day 1 |
| Phoebe Thompson | 28 | Credit Analyst | Day 4 |
| Sam Withers | 28 | International DJ | Day 1 |
Unfortunately, their effort fell short as the rating of season 2 was quite bad compared to season 1. Viewers commented that the cast members lack chemistry and their interactions were simply not genuine. Despite that, Love Island season 2 still managed to create memorable couples, and some of them are still together until today.
Where Are The Love Island Australia Couples Now?
Here’s a peek at how our couples from both seasons are doing as they left the villa and went back to the real world:
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Grant And Tayla
Grant And Tayla – Source: The Mirror
Grant didn’t seem like an ideal partner at the beginning: He didn’t try to clear things with Cassidy and even tried to gaslight Tayla about wanting to kiss her. However, as the show processed, their interactions got more and more real. Tayla was clever and gentle, and her kindness seemed to change Grant for the better. He tried to hold back his usual aggressive behaviors thanks to ger, which was something audiences could see and feel.
Hence, when the couple won the first season, many viewers were pleased. Truth be told, I was one of those who rooted for them too. Shortly after leaving the villa, though, it was rumored that Grant had a secret girlfriend the entire time and the only reason he joined the show was to promote his clothing line.
The Drama Between Grant And Cassidy Love Island Australia
Grant tried to deny the rumor, but Tayla still dumped him nonetheless. The drama didn’t end here: Two weeks later, he reunited with his rumored girlfriend, and the two are still together until now. Tayla, on the other hand, got back with another Islander, Dom Thomas, but they eventually parted this year. As of now, she seems to be happy in a relationship with Australian footballer Nathan Broad.
In the end, their relationship only lasted for two weeks. Not very long I’d say, even by Love Island standards.
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Eden And Erin
Eden And Erin – Source: Capital
Eden and Erin teamed up with each other right from the beginning. Both of them shared a fiery personality and could be rather aggressive, so the audiences either loved them to death or hated them badly. Still, they added more drama to the show. Most of them come from Erin’s insecurities about Millie, and even though I found them cringeworthy at times, audiences and producers certainly thought it was enjoyable.
Even though they were the only couple that went straight from the first day to the finale, many assumed that they wouldn’t last long: They simply fought all the time. That speculation eventually came true in September 2018 when the couple announced their split on Instagram.
“We wanted to share with you, that after much deliberation, we have quietly parted ways”, Eden and Erin wrote, “We look back and cherish the time we have created, in both Spain and in Australia”. The reason behind their breakup might have something to do with Erin’s allegations about her partner being abusive, which Eden strongly denied.
Eden is now in a relationship with Cyrell Paule – one of the breakout stars of Married At First Sight 2019. Early in 2020, the two announced that they just got a baby. Meanwhile, Erin also moved on and is now living together with her boyfriend Mick Russell.
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Josh And Amelia
When it comes to coupling and helping contestants to find their true loves, Love Island is certainly not the most successful. However, fairy tales do exist, and Josh and Amelia are the living proofs for that.
Josh And Amelia – Source: Who Magazine
Josh, famous for his poetry in the villa, was on the verge of being out as he struggled to find his other half. Just when he was ready for elimination, stunning Amelia walked in and changed everything. Even though their chemistry was fantastic and the relationship was sweet through and through, many viewers could foresee that they wouldn’t be the winning couple. Just like Redditor jeffrey-he wrote, “they are not dramatic enough and wouldn’t be a choice commercially”. In the end, they were ranked thirds, much to fans’ disappointment.
It doesn’t matter, though, because Josh and Amelia are clearly winners in real life. Right after getting back to Australia, Josh made things official by asking Amelia to be his girlfriend. Earlier this year, they took things to the next step and moved in together to an apartment in Bondi. The way they shared this exciting news with fans couldn’t be cuter, and judging from Amelia’s clues, we are all expecting a wedding shortly!
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Dom And Shelby
Dom and Shelby were an exciting twist of Love Island season 1. They didn’t choose each other at first, but after Millie dumped Dom and Jaxon was eliminated, the two finally found each other. Their relationship wasn’t that smooth, though, considering the incident with the lie detector. Basically, the machine signaled that Dom was lying when he said he really liked Shelby and that he didn’t come to the show just for a root.
The Lie Detector destroyed Dom
Shelby even bluntly stated that she wouldn’t be contacting Dom outside of Love Island, and she no longer wanted anything romantically with him. Still, the two made it so far and only left the show on day 38. Some fans still hoped they somehow made up with each other, but only a few weeks after the elimination, Dom announced that they were better off as friends.
As the last part mentioned, Dom dated his fellow Islander Tayla Damir after breaking up with Grant Crapp. However, their relationship only lasted for one year. He seems to be single now and has a lot of fun with his Love Island bros, especially his BFF Josh Moss.
On the other hand, Shelby is now dating Harry Bink – a freestyle motocross rider. She doesn’t waste the fame she obtained from the show, though, as she often promotes products to her 158k Instagram followers, including clothes, cosmetics, and foods.
Love Island Australia Cast Season 1 – Mark And Millie
Among the girls, Millie’s journey in Love Island seemed to be the toughest: She had spent time with Dom Thomas, Elias Chigros, and John James, yet none of these worked out. That’s why her fans were relieved when she finally found her match in Mark O’Dare.
Millie Thinks Mark Is Super Hot
As they return to the real world, the two had many plans together, making them seem unbreakable. They mentioned their relationship in interviews and appeared together on photoshoots. They were about to launch their clothing brand, preparing for a life with each other.
Unfortunately, it didn’t come true. Mark and Millie announced their splitting in March 2019, with Millie assuring her fans that the two were still on good terms. Particularly, she wrote:
“Mark and I had such an amazing time together and we will forever cherish our special moments, unfortunately at this point in time we have decided we are both going in different directions and have to part ways.”
Though the actual reason behind their breakup is still unclear, at least we know that they ended on a peaceful note. Mark retired from the spotlight and even set all of his social media profiles to private. Millie, on the other hand, becomes a social influencer. It seems like the two have completely different choices in life.
Love Island Australia Cast Season 2 – Josh And Anna
Josh and Anna were labeled the dark horses of Love Island Australia Season 2, as they were not in the original cast yet made it so far. After leaving the villa, they earned for themselves another title: The dream couple of every reality dating show.
Josh And Anna – Source: Who Magazine
Right after the show, they processed to meet each other’s families. Even though Josh was living in Sydney and Anna in Melbourne, the two tried to see each other as much as possible, saying that they were just too head-over-heel for each other to be apart. They soon proved it by moving in with each other in Melbourne after six months of dating, and their future seemed to be brighter than ever.
Unfortunately, just like many couples, Josh and Anna couldn’t get through the lockdown hardship. Josh admitted on a Youtube video that they had definitely stepped on each other’s toes too much to be trapped in an apartment together. Many could empathize with their situation and agreed that COVID was a challenging test for any relationship, even more than all the drama in Love Island.
Matthew And Cartier
Matthew and Cartier created quite some controversies during their time in the show. Accordingly, the two kept saying they were in the “friend zone” while everything seemed too clear that they wanted more from each other. This annoyed some fans of Love Island, saying they purposedly tried to create some drama.
Eventually, things turned out well between Matthew and Cartier, and they, seemingly, had become a couple. Viewers were pleased to see the two walking the 2019 ARIA Award red carpet together, but this happiness didn’t last long. Just a day after, they announced their breakup on Instagram. By the look of it, though, it didn’t seem like a mutual decision.
While Cartier told her Instagram followers that the two were better off staying good friends rather than romantic partners, Matthew sounded bitter about it: “Cartier had decided that the two of us are better suited as friends, I respect Cartier & her decision”.
The most recent time Matthew made headlines was when he went on a virtual date with Chloe Veitch, the star of Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle. Cartier still continues her career as an Instagram influencer and stays good friends with fellow Islander Jessia. The two recently created their joined Instagram feed.
Aaron And Cynthia
Aaron And Cynthia – Source: Mamamia
Not every couple who made it to the finale made it in real life. This is a rule all fans of reality dating shows know. Even though Aaron and Cynthia deserved third place, their relationship didn’t work out after leaving the villa.
Cynthia announced their breakup subtly through a quote: “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself”. She also assured fans that she always stayed true to herself and meant everything she said, but life was unpredictable, and something just didn’t mean to work out.
A few days later, Aaron confirmed the splitting and apologized to his followers for his lack of updates. Accordingly, he wanted to take a break from social media. “I truly feel like Cynthia and I are on different wavelengths. This is nothing against Cynthia as she’s a beautiful soul, however, the dreams and aspirations she has are completely different to mine”, Aaron wrote.
Will There Be Love Island Australia Season 3?
Although the success rate for couples walking out from this show is rather low, euphemistically, audiences never stop hoping that they will see another dream pair just like Josh and Amelia. With the cancellation of season 3 in 2020, though, many feared that would never come true.
If you are one of them, this news will make you thrilled: Earlier this year, Channel 9 confirmed that there would be Love Island Australia Season 3. Casting is still open, and the application website states that the show will come back in 2021.
The exact date and place of Love Island Season 3 are yet to be confirmed. However, it means that if you want to be a part of the show and find your other half, you still have a chance!
Final Thought
There you have it, everything that happened to our Love Island Australian cast on the outside world, once the camera stopped rolling! You might be sad that your favorite couples are no longer together, but at least all of them seem to be enjoying their lives after the show. That’s something worths cheering for.
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