Since this year’s season of Love Island USA has brought in a few new fans, it also means that there are thousands of new viewers who aren’t familiar with The Lore of it all. And that’s okay! You don’t have to watch previous seasons of Love Island USA in order to enjoy the current season. But there are some common Love Island concepts that might be new and unfamiliar to some, so it’s important to know what’s going on over there.
There are no “set” rules, though past islanders have opened up about various strict (and sometimes surprising) guidelines that they had to follow in the villa, and some of them are pretty bizarre. As the islanders exit the villa, they tend to appear on TikTok and podcasts sharing their experience and tidbits about the entire process, which does not sound like a breezy tropical vacation. Here are some Love Island guidelines that you should know about.
They do have phones, but can’t do much with them
The islander’s phones are provided by production, who could also drop in from time to time when someone is about to receive a text. The phones are used to take pictures, but they are not connected to the internet and the time and date is fake, proving that this might all be some messed up science experiment. Previous seasons of Love Island UK have allowed islanders to text each other, but never to the outside world. They also can’t listen to music, read, or watch TV shows. So they have nothing to do but cause distress amongst each other in the hot summer sun!
There is an alcohol limit
Islanders are limited to one glass of alcohol a night, and it’s “not a generous pour.” On occasion, champagne is provided on dates to inspire romance and/or more drama.
The islanders are split up for lunch and dinner
In order to make sure there is no gossiping (or scheming) amongst the couples, the girls and guys are separated for lunch and dinner. They are on their own for breakfast, which seems to mostly always consist of avocado toast or eggs, until they are thrown on the ground by angry islanders.
They can’t talk about the outside world
In order to keep the drama to the forefront, islanders are not supposed to talk about things in the outside world. Former islander Indiyah Polack from 2022 revealed, “I would say the most broken rule was speaking about the outside world because we weren’t allowed to do that. But when you’re coming into that environment all you know is the outside world – what else do you talk about? I got in a lot of trouble for that as I’m quite a chatty Kathy.”
They have to be debriefed before returning to the real world
Since the islanders are in there with no access to the outside, they have no idea how they are being perceived by viewers, which could be jarring when they exit. Before they leave for good, contestants are debriefed by producers who help brace for the public eye, in addition to meeting with a therapist for a minimum of eight sessions.
They get one “off” day a week
The islanders do get one day off from stirring up drama! They get one “off” day a week, which consists of them cleaning the villa or sometimes going on day trips. They are closely watched by producers, Truman Show style, to ensure that there is no drama going unfilmed.
(Via Grazia & People)