I was on Love Island – I was shocked by bizarre rule during auditions and why Islanders get told off in the villa
AS the winter series gets ready for take off, former contestant Sharon Gaffka has lifted the lid on the gruelling Love Island audition process.
The civil servant-turned-reality star, 27, from Didcot in Oxfordshire, spent 19 days in the villa in 2021, but failed to find a genuine connection.
Speaking to The Sun, Sharon reveals producers quiz hopeful contestants' families to make sure they are mentally fit for the show.
She also spills behind-the-scenes secrets from the villa - including the spot where Islanders are banned from chatting.
Intimate questions
While some contestants are approached to be on the show - often those with raunchy social media pics - others, like Sharon, apply for Love Island.
She filmed a 90-second audition video wearing a woolly jumper on her mum and dad’s sofa during Covid restrictions.
ON LOVE ISLAND
She recalls: “I just took the mickey out of myself. For some people going on the show is about being an influencer or famous and it’s their dream, but it wasn’t mine. I hoped to find romance.”
Sharon had two more sets of interviews; the first about her hobbies, loves and likes, and the second about “more intimate” stuff.
She says: “I was asked about any arguments I had with friends, then questions about my sex life, including whether I’d hooked up with anyone famous and any embarrassing sex moments.
“Each interview gets more and more intense. I told them I was envious of their job because they get to ask anyone anything!”
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Sharon says auditions include psychological assessments throughout, adding: “You’re going to be in a tough environment so they want to make sure you can cope.
“They speak to family members to ensure you’re not lying about anything too.
"They spoke to because I didn’t want to tell my dad at that point.
“After that I was asked to go to the London studios to film a VT.”
Bizarre audition rule
There Sharon was kept apart from other contestants despite all filming on the same day.
She claims secrecy is so tight that show wannabes have to ask to go to the loo with a chaperone so they don’t bump into each other.
"I felt like I was in MI5!" she says.
“You know there are other contestants there but you have no idea who they are or anything about them. You’re all given nicknames, too.
“I did a bikini shot on the back of a Jeep which was strange because it was during lockdown and loads of people in masks were staring at me.
“A couple of days after I got a call saying, ‘you’ve got three weeks then you’re off to Mallorca'. I thought it was a joke at first.”
‘Fake’ row
Sharon was trolled after a row in the villa which left fellow contestant Hugo Hammond in tears.
She took Hugo on after he made a reference to women looking "fake".
Sharon, who had filler in her lips, and Faye Winter, who had filler and a boob job, were left furious when Hugo said he didn’t go for the "fake look" during a game of Mr & Mrs.
Sharon, who has since dissolved her lip fillers, recalls: “For me, that row was taken out of context and made me look bad.
“The reason I was so annoyed is because it wasn’t the first time comments like that had already been made to me by Hugo.
"There was a lead up for days. But those moments weren’t shown on the show - just the row.
“His comments are irrelevant to my life though and had nothing to do with me dissolving my lip filler.
"I was taking a break from it for a month and decided I like the way I looked naturally.”
Pool rule
While housemates are often shown chatting by the edge of the pool, Sharon says they are discouraged from having conversations in the water - because their microphones aren’t waterproof.
“If you start having a long chat in the water you get told off because the microphone can’t pick it up," she explains.
"That’s why you see everyone sitting on the edge or hanging at the side.”
Clothes confiscated
Contestants take in two of their own suitcases and are given a white Love Island one to wheel in.
But not everything is allowed in the villa.
Sharon says: “They take any razors or sharps away because it’s all provided for you, but clothing that will ‘strobe’ on camera is also confiscated.
“I had a zebra print jumpsuit taken away and I heard that a bottle of fake tan was also confiscated.”
Drinks all round
Love Islanders are only allowed two alcoholic drinks a night which are stored in a pantry with their name on.
But Sharon says production staff are always monitoring water intake, ensuring the housemates take on at least six bottles a day.
She says: “You get told off by the wellness staff if you don’t drink enough, which is why you always see people walking around the villa with a water bottle in their hand.
“It’s the same with suncream. There are bottles of it everywhere and you’re encouraged to keep topping up.”
Looking fresh
Sharon reveals that beauticians were on hand for nails, make-up and hair for the contestants' first appearances on the show.
She says: “Halfway through, a barber comes in and cuts the boys' hair, because eight weeks is a long time for them not to have a cut.
"But a lot of the lads brought in their own clippers.”
Free stuff
The bathrooms, toilets and showers are kitted out with luxury beauty products, says Sharon.
She adds: “There’s everything you could possibly think of, from gels and shampoos to skincare and hair spray, straighteners and hairdryers.
“A lot of the products are high quality like Liz Earle or Fenty make-up.
"When girls were dumped from the Island, we would force lots of lovely skincare into their suitcases as a little treat for when they got home.”
Vile trolls
Love Islanders are asked to get friends or family to monitor their social media accounts back home.
Sharon says: “I had two different friends doing this, one on Twitter and one on Instagram.
“They are there to re-share stuff from the show but also to delete horrible messages.
“My advice to the new Islanders would be to pay a professional to do this, because some of the trolling is just horrible and upset my friends.
“I was upset when I saw some of the stuff posted so thank goodness they had deleted the more vile comments.”
Regrets
Sharon says she doesn’t regret her time in the villa - but would be cautious about a repeat appearance.
The ex-beauty pageant queen says: “I went on with the most genuine of intentions - to find love.
“The problem is you don’t know who is there just to build up a profile as an influencer or become famous, so they may not be as genuine as you.
“If I did it again I don’t think the trolling or comments would impact me as much because I’m numb to it now. I’d also be more relaxed in front of the camera.
“I’m still single so would going in again be the worst decision I ever made? I don’t know. It’s a tough question.
“I would advise the new Islanders to be themselves. They know the truth about what’s happening and people on the outside don’t.
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“I would tell them to keep the pals they had when they went in and don’t get sucked into the fame game.”
Love Island returns on January 16 on ITV2 and ITVX.
