Love Island summer applications: How to get on the show, according to ex-Islanders

Applications for Love Island summer 2020 are open. This is exciting news for the millions of people keen to make it into the Love Island alumni. No doubt, there will be a lot of attractive youths desperate for love and a fat brand deal this summer but what does the application process actually involve?

Ex-Islander Montana Brown spoke to Glamour to reveal a detailed guide on what is expected from hopeful new Islanders, as well as her top tips for how she got onto the show.

The application isn’t just – send in a cute pic of yourself and 100 words – it’s intense. You have to already have a decent Instagram following and aesthetic, and you have to do a one-minute promotional video of yourself. Here’s a step-by-step of how to produce the best application and ensure you get in.

The producers want people looking for love NOT money

Although a lot of viewers accuse the Islanders of being game players looking for money, the producers apparently only want people who prioritise finding love.

Previous contestants were chosen particularly for their unfiltered desperation to find “the one”. Sophie Piper went in with a bit of exaggeration, saying she’s been single for “500 years”, which probably evoked sympathy among the producers. Niall from 2018 admitted in his video: “I’d DMed everyone in the city to no avail so now I need to get on the Island to get some action”. He unashamedly admitted his major past fails, and they like that!

The video is everything, make it unique

To make it onto the show you have to sell yourself in a mere one minute. You have to prove you’re funny, sexy, cool and relatable, AND you have to do something new.

Leanne said she was an “exaggerated version” of herself. Whilst, Laura Anderson from 2018 made a mini-documentary about her life. She said: “Anyone talking to the camera is a bit strange and anyone can be good at the old chat so I wanted to make it as real as possible so I did a day in the life”.

Laura videod everything she got up to in a day. She was working as an air hostess at the time, so she filmed herself on the plane, on the beach in Dubai, doing a workout in the sun and riding a camel in the desert. She said: “You’re only allowed one minute so it’s difficult but focus on your video because it really helps you stand out”. It worked well because not only did she get into the show, she also got told that it was the best video of that year.

Any hidden talents or celebrity connections? Show it off

Paige Turley shone out from the rest because of her connection to Lewis Capaldi and her Britain’s Got Talent audition video. Connor was also a favourite after he told producers that he worked as a naked butler. If you have something cool to tell, even if it’s weird or a bit embarrassing, it’s definitely worth including.

Get your Instagram up to scratch

Hayley from season four said that her Instagram performance is what got the producers’ attention more than once. She said: “The producers had contacted me via Instagram in previous years but I’ve had boyfriends. Every year I said I’d do Love Island if I wasn’t in a relationship, so I decided this was my year. I’m not like an influencer but obviously, if you do modelling, like me, you have to show yourself off and look your best on Instagram so that is probably why they contacted me”.

Wes from the same season also said your Instagram is important. He said: “I am pretty serious about Instagram, I do take it seriously and spend a lot of time on there. I don’t post as regularly as a lot of influencers do but I do enjoy posting my fitness videos and lifestyle pictures with friends. Maybe they thought: ‘he’s in decent-ish shape, he’s an alright looking fella, let’s put him on the show”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8O9OKIDv30/

Be different, don’t try and imitate previous contestants

The producers are keen to see new and different people. The previous Islanders have had their time, it’s a waste to try and be like them. The Love Island team said: “Don’t think ‘I will try and be like Olivia'” they added, “we have finished with them on this show so it’s time to bring in new characters so there’s no point being like the others.”

If you only want fame, you won’t last on the show

Obviously, anyone applying for Love Island knows that fame is a part of it. If you’re against becoming famous it’s probably not the show for you because it’s basically guaranteed. However, the producers wants applicants to know that it’s a dating show, centred around finding love – if you’re only looking for fame, you won’t last. The team said that “If you’re not here for love, [the audience will] find out” and they’ll vote you off.

Montana Brown’s top tips

Montana said she was “just really weird” and that’s why she thinks she got chosen. She added that it’s important to be really enthusiastic but don’t just say “I’m really fun” – bring your best stories to back this. Part of the application process is a group interview, so she urged any hopeful applicants to push to stand out from the crowd.

Sounds simple. To apply to this summer’s show, you have to be over the age of 18, have a valid passport and you’ve got to be free for a minimum of 8 weeks from January 2020. 

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