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I was on Love Island – what bombshells really know before going into the villa and what contestants get up to on day off
HEADING into the Love Island villa, bombshells know they have to make a big impression... but what do they really know ahead of time?
Former Islander Lucinda Strafford claims they know everything that has happened in the show apart from the final 24 hours.
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The influencer, 23, flew out two weeks before her entrance into the show in season seven last year and says she was able to hear a lot from other contestants.
She tells The Sun: "I actually heard starting line-up people because we were all in quarantine villas that were fairly close together.
"On the day Sharon Gaffka was going in I could hear her talking to the person she had been quarantining with. I overheard their conversation as she was getting ready to be taken to the villa.
"I wasn't far off going in at that point. I headed into the villa eight days later."
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Quarantine hell
Lucinda, who has been linked to footballer Aaron Connolly before and after being in the villa, admits the long days of isolation also drove her mad.
While she was lucky because her minder allowed her to have her phone for a while, contestants were mainly cut off from the outside world.
"I was so thankful to have my phone for the first week while I waited to go in," Lucinda said.
"I wasn't allowed to post anything because no one could know where I was.
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"Once they took it off me it was a nightmare. I was staring at four walls. I think I got through all of Netflix. I was also trying to do 10,000 steps a day so I'd just walk round and round the pool."
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Before going into Love Island, Lucinda also watched a tape given to her by the producers of each episode.
It meant she was up to date on the antics, but there was one caveat. "I didn't get to know what was happening 24 hours before going in," she said.
It meant she went in blind to any drama that happened before her grand entrance.
Once in, Lucinda admits she struggled to relax or be herself 100 per cent because she was painfully aware of how she might come across to the public.
Secret day off takeaway
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In fact, the only time she ever really relaxed was on the cast's one day off a week when they got time away from cameras.
Lucinda said: "We do get one day off a week and sometimes we even ordered McDonald's on that day.
"The boys would order loads. But we were limited to one meal each so the girls would overorder so the lads got more to eat."
While in the villa the contestants are treated to having all their meals prepared for them, but during quarantine, it was a different story.
"We had to order the ingredients we wanted and it was delivered to us once a week. I was aware I was set to go in any day so I opted for lots of salads and fresh fruits."
Hopes for new host
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Lucinda also spent time swimming and working out to make sure she was in tip-top condition for her grand entrance.
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She is excited about new host Maya Jama and reckons she will help bring a new audience to Love Island.
Lucinda said: "I think she'll be really really good. She's well-known and will hopefully bring more viewers to the show."
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