I’m watching Love Island for the first time and I have 11 thoughts

After years of listening to people go on (and on) about Love Island, I’ve finally given in and started to watch it. The cherry had to pop sometime…

I’ve finally done it. I’ve taken the plunge. You are now looking at a fully-fledged Love Island viewer and I am HOOKED.

I don’t know why I didn’t give in sooner – I’m a sucker for reality TV. From The Real Housewives to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, you can hook it to my veins. Now we’re four days into the winter season of Love Island and I can’t get enough.

Here are some of the thoughts I’ve had on the show so far.

1. Why are the girls walking around in heels and not flip-flops? Let’s be honest here – heels of that height aren’t comfy. And that villa is a three-storey building full of mixed-level flooring and steps. Get yourselves a pair of flip-flops or sliders, ladies, and stop with the safety hazards.

2. It’s so cringy and awkward but somehow I can’t. stop. watching. Let’s talk about episode one for a second. Did anyone else want the ground to swallow them up when Nas was introduced to the girls? The poor soul had to pick a girl to couple-up with despite all FIVE (5) of them saying they don’t fancy him. Then, when he selected Siannese, she ditched him at the earliest opportunity for the next guy she saw (who rejected her and left her to return to Nas all over again). My self-esteem would be on the floor.

3. What would their mothers say? Imagine going on national television and openly chatting about how many people you’ve slept with and your preferences in the bedroom. Connor’s confession about being with over 100 women was particularly telling. I’m all for being open but maybe not that open. Don’t they realise their parents are watching? Or possibly even grandparents. I couldn’t bear it. Leanne is the exception, however. Anytime something sexual or romantic comes up, she blushes and covers her face. Cute.

4. Ollie was a plonker. Why did he think admitting he’s a cheater was a good idea? It’s not exactly what your prospective other-half wants to hear – particularly when you say it happened NINE times. And now he’s left the villa to reunite with another ex. Paige had a lucky escape.

5. Stop talking about ‘putting all your eggs in one basket’. Someone said it on the show the other night and now they’re all at it. You can bet your bottom dollar that Penneys will have it printed on t-shirts in no time.

6. I can’t decide whether I love or hate the twins. On one hand, they come across lovely and friendly. On the other, they are completely hypocritical. Jess and Eve, who had to choose two of the other girls’ partners to steal, repeatedly said they wouldn’t reveal which boys they liked. Which is fair enough… That is until Jess gave out to Mike for not revealing how much he liked Leanne. Pot, kettle, black.

7. They’re all so intense. What’s the deal with all the boys saying Ollie was like a brother to them? They literally knew him for 48 hours. Calm down.

8. Fair play to Laura Whitmore. Having never watched Love Island before, I’ve no idea what Caroline Flack was like as a presenter. What I do know is that viewers wanted Maya Jama to take on the role after Caroline stepped down. Instead, Laura Whitmore got the job. And more power to her. It’s nice to see an Irish woman doing well on the international stage.

9. Shaughna is brilliant. Not only does the 25-year-old come out with cracking one-liners, but she’s also incredibly smart with an interesting job (a democratic services officer, thank you very much). She’s not afraid to express how she’s feeling (“sh*t”) and she’s open about being a little crazy in love. Pure TV gold.

10. Mike and Leanne to win. Policeman Mike and customer service advisor Leanne coupled up together on day one. Despite Jess trying to steal Mike away for herself, he has chosen to stay with Leanne because she gives him “butterflies”. Not only that, but since he revealed how he feels about her, Leanne said she “can’t stop smiling”. The romance is overwhelming.

11. I wish they’d selected more ‘regular-looking’ castmates. There’s no denying that Love Island producers chose one very particular type. Slim, tanned women with long hair and perfectly groomed eyebrows, plus tall muscley men with trendy haircuts. I’d like to see fuller-figured women who don’t wear fake tan take part in the show. Women with freckles or those without eyelash extensions. Scrawny guys and beer-bellied guys. I want to see ordinary people fall in love, not just Instagram-savvy, picture-perfect folk.

Photo: Love Island, ITV

Read more: Love Island: 17 of the funniest tweets about last night’s episode

Read more: These 8 binge-worthy TV shows were made for re-watching

Read more: Love Island: Harmless TV or seriously impacting our self-esteem?