Ranked: The Islanders who were truly wronged with their heart race challenge outfits

Every day I still think about how the producers did Mary so dirty as Little Mermaid

3 years ago | UPDATED 2 years ago

Love Island 2021

The heart race challenge is the best part of Love Island. End of. But sometimes, the outfits the Islanders get given truly aren’t it. Because, who could forget Mary in 2021? Oh, Mary. The nation let out a simultaneous weep when she came out in the heart race challenge…dressed as a mermaid. But Mary joins a long list of past Islanders who deserve a written apology for how awful their heart race challenge outfits were.

Sometimes it’s as though they blow the entire budget on one Islander whose outfit steals the show, and the rest are just given whatever is left over from the lost property box. From awful headpieces, to just head to toe disasters – here is every single time a Love Island contestant was done dirty by the heart race challenge outfits.

13. Casey, 2023

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As you read further on through this list you’ll see the failure of this task often lies with a silly little accessory thrown in for no reason. And this time, it was Casey with his sunglasses. Why? The little denim booty shorts and check shirt were clearly a half-arsed attempt from the costume department, so they just chucked some very not sexy glasses on him. It’s giving dad on holiday.

12. Georgia, 2018

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Georgia’s Love Island heart race challenge outfit was great – but she deserves a shoutout for the headpiece and the headpiece alone.

11. Antigoni, 2022

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“Little Red Riding Hoe” was never a concept that was going to end well. It was just the cape. A bad, bad choice.

10. Curtis, 2019

The worst ever outfits worn for the Love Island heart race challenge

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Remember when Curtis invented the heart race challenge on Love Island 2019? Truly iconic, but an awful headpiece and sparkly shorts none the less. Only Curtis Pritchard could rock up in that outfit and still manage to make it TV gold.

9. Chris, 2019

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THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE IF HE HAD DITCHED THE GLOVES. He looks like a mime artist. Sorry, Chris.

8. Anton, 2019

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It’s the shorts. I don’t know why, just the shorts.

7. Francesca, 2019

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Francesca had only met the guys the day before and now she’s lap dancing for them dressed as a saucy secretary. But in all honesty, she looked more like that one supply teacher who didn’t follow the dress-code. Understandable though, the budget that year was clearly used for Maura’s outfit.

6. Andrew, 2022

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Andrew’s gladiator sandals were an actual hate crime. As were the loosely fitting shorts that dangled around his crotch as he grinded up the girls. I really could have lived my life without seeing that.

5. Alex, 2018

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I know the boys just whip off their outfits straight away, but what are these trousers? Are they meant to be sexy? He just looks very…wet?

4. Dani, 2018

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Dani Dyer was the nation’s sweetheart of 2018. She deserved more than a sub-par cheerleader outfit. And the pompoms? Why?

3. Jake, 2021

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The Viking? This was more of a sleep paralysis demon than sexy. Why did the producers feel the need to throw in this head piece? I’m getting more Finland at Eurovision in 2006 than Love Island Heart Race Challenge 2021.

2. Grace, 2018

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You probably don’t even remember Grace from the 2018 series, but she was brought back from Casa Amor by Dr Alex. Ahead of the heart race challenge she admitted in the Beach Hut that it “wasn’t really her thing”. She was meant to be a sexy nurse, but all she was given was a cheap-looking white scrub and a stethoscope – clearly the entire budget was blown on Megan Barton-Hanson’s drop-dead outfit.

1. Mary, 2021

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I’m reporting the Love Island producers to Ofcom for crimes against Mary. She was truly, truly wronged more than any Love Islander we have ever seen. The awful thing is as well, she really tried to rock it. But there is just no coming back from being put in that god awful wig. Was the wig necessary? And the shape of the skirt? She could hardly move in it! Imagine walking into the dressing room, seeing all the outfits lined up and realising that yours was that one. Heartbreaking. I feel for her, I really do.

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