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The second season of Love Island: All Stars is officially in full swing, with half of its cast being from series one through five, which is considered amongst diehard fans to be the “golden age” of the show. While many viewers were excited about the cast lineup, it’s already clear that many are reserved and have become much wiser to production and the public. The question is, how can they let their guard down in a more organic setting? The earliest seasons were top-tier because they had the most organic chemistry, and that began with bonding in the corner where all the islanders smoked cigarettes.
‘Love Island’ Series 3 Was The Best Cast For A Reason
During Series 3, Love Island saw a significant escalation in popularity with a tight-knit cast teeming with both platonic and romantic chemistry that made them one of the best Love Island casts of all time. While the production can produce drama, with conversations and raunchy games, there was something so organic about this cast, and a lot of their give-and-take germinated from the cigarette corner. Viewers saw a side of the cast where they let their guards down while smoking a cigarette, seemingly oblivious to the cameras. Camilla Thurlow was the good girl of the cast, the bashful bikini-clad ingenué who dismantles bombs in war-torn countries as a career. Compared to the archetypal female contestants who were pilates instructors, dance instructors, and influencers, it was hard not to pedestalize Camilla in the context of the steamy, saucy villa. It was almost perplexing why someone so wholesome was even there, especially since she was so guarded while everyone else was letting it all hang out. Seeing her unwind with a cigarette while forming a heartwarming friendship with former boy bander Marcel Somerville and giving the side-eye to her earnest suitor Harley Judge, whom she was so clearly not into, made her much more humanized to the audience and her rowdier cast members.
The islanders confiding in each other over cigarettes was a much more authentic social scenario and helped push the plot forward. Take Olivia Atwood, a professional model and heartbreaker who played men like a fiddle. At first, she was matched up with Sam Gowan, who was much less sophisticated and had more of a little brother energy. “What about Chris [Hughes]?” Jess Shears, Olivia’s best friend in the cast, whispered to her. “He’s borderline offended every single girl, but he’s hot, you know what I mean?” This brief aside set the tone for Olivia and Chris’ relationship, and they made it together to the finale. Part of what made her relationship so compelling to watch was her snark mixed with glimmers of vulnerability about her emotional unavailability. While the games, conversations, and dates engineered by the producers were hilarious to watch, these small but specific moments give us a glimpse into why Olivia is so funny but also so real.

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It’s Time To Bring Back Authenticity To ‘Love Island All Stars’!
This season of Love Island: All Stars already has a much more stacked cast compared to the previous season. Alongside the castmates from the more chaotic earlier seasons is Ekin-Su, who is seen as one of the greatest Love Island contestants of all time and carried the sixth series on her back. Ekin is a producer’s dream; she’s quirky, vulnerable, and sexy while keeping the plot percolating. She was incredible at switching up men and pulling girls aside for a chat seamlessly in her first season, but the problem now is that she’s doing it to people who have already played the game and are much more aware of how the public and the edit will perceive them. No one wants to see Gabby Allen be a little too diplomatic with her cheating ex, Marcel. No one believes Kaz Crossley is actually okay with Casey O’Gorman after he treated her best friend badly.
Sexy games, Casa Amor, and pulling islanders aside for a chat can only yield so much authenticity, and bringing back the cigarette corner would anchor the islanders into some relatability and honesty. It’s these little moments of bonding that resonate with the cast because that’s the only time the cast isn’t hyper-aware of the cameras. Islanders are unfortunately no longer allowed to smoke on camera because so many young viewers now tune in. The problem is, why do they allow two alcoholic beverages on screen to loosen them up, but cigarettes are where they draw the line? So many of the contestants get a ton of plastic surgery and make a career off of hawking clothes from Shein and FashionNova, which is fast fashion that is horrible for the environment and uses child laborers. Those things are just as condemnable as chaining cigarettes, if not more so. And, unlike the cigarette corner, they do nothing to move the plot forward or develop the characters. Relationships are formed by engaging in vices, and that includes cigarettes. It’s time to bring back authenticity, and it’s time to bring back the cigarette corner!

Love Island: All Stars
- Release Date
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January 15, 2024
- Network
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ITV2
- Franchise(s)
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Love Island
Cast
Love Island: All Stars is available to watch on Peacock in the U.S.
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