Love Island UK AND Love Island USA are kicking off this week (a true gift) and the bosses over at UK just pulled back the curtain on their casting processes.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, producers Amanda Stavri and Lewis Evans said, “Every year, we try to matchmake, but it all goes out the window the moment they’re in the Villa. They come to meet us in their castings, they’ll tell us who their types are, we’ll do a bit of snooping on Instagram and stuff, and then they come in here, and it all goes out the window, because it’s all about chemistry in the Villa. You never know who’s going to get along with that.”

They added, “You can predict it, but it wouldn’t really happen that way. You don’t know the chemistry, that’s the thing. I think we always look for authenticity in the cast. This cast has an array of jobs. I mean, they’re a great lot. There are a lot of normal jobs. So, we have our opening lineup, and then we have bombshells who are waiting in the wings. We have to be reactive to what’s going on in the Villa and who we think heads are going to turn for.”

Apparently there are “36 to 40 Islanders in total” and producers are “pretty open-minded when it comes to casting” since “you never want to close anything off.” However, they mostly want to stay away from reality stars. So, what about Joey Essex back in 2024? They explained, “It’s just getting the right person at the right moment. Joey was that person, and partly because his ex-girlfriend Grace had been cast, so it made sense. There was a reason it made sense.”

Got it. Get to know the full Love Island UK 2026 cast below!