After seven weeks of fun, frolicking and another word beginning with f in the sun, ITV2's hit reality series Love Island reaches its dramatic conclusion on Monday night.
One couple will have the opportunity to share £50,000 and become the third winners of the show since its hugely successful revamp and reboot in 2015, with a 2018 series already commissioned by ITV.
Hosted by Caroline Flack, narrated by the excellent Iain Stirling and set in Majorca, this year's show has proved a huge hit with viewers who have watched in their millions every night. After tonight's eviction, four couples will go head-to-head in Monday's live final and then head back to Blighty and normality where the dreaded Instagram "discount code" deals, nightclub appearances and promo fashion, gym and skincare deals will naturally await the islanders.
Our man Danny Archer has kept up to date with all the action this summer and with a little help from Love Island fans Ella Cooper and Sophie Archer, here is his take on who will walk away with the coveted £50,000 prize this year.
Kem and Amber 11/8 - SkyBet
Essex lad Kem Cetinay and Welsh born but London inhabitant Amber Davies have had a tumultuous time in the villa of love. After pairing up within the first few days of the series after Amber had already kissed Harley (remember him) having initially been chosen by Marcel (you keeping up?), the couple experienced myriad ups and downs, which saw the much maligned Amber being criticised for describing every boy who came into the villa as "my type on paper".
Advert
Hairdresser Kem felt stifled by the relationship and at times they seemed on the rocks despite Kem giving Amber a love bracelet which emphasised their commitment to each other. His escapades in Casa Amor, which saw him get quite close to Chyna and Danielle seemed to be the death-knell of Kember but they rose from the ashes, with many also surprised that 20-year-old dancer Amber stayed loyal to Kem whilst he was in Casa Amor. They have looked the strongest couple ever since then, despite new girl Georgia, also from Essex, choosing Kem at a recoupling two weeks back.
The couple came through that obstacle and the lie detector test earlier this week with flying colours and enjoyed a romantic meal as their final date in the villa. With each day, the pair look increasingly more compatible and punters seem to have latched on to that belief as well. General 10/1 shots for the title a week back, the money has come hard and fast for Kember who are now 5/4 chances in most places.
They look solid favourites given the strong support throughout the series for Kem and viewers warming to Amber throughout the seven weeks. The couple have also been aided by their longevity in the villa (both came in on the first day) and also the lack of negative publicity from the media which has befallen other islanders, with neither embroiled in sleazy scandals exposed by the tabloids. With a natural chemistry flowing between the pair throughout the series, that has now blossomed into a full-blown relationship and Kember have looked the strongest couple in the crucial final stages of the show, cementing their favouritism.
Jamie and Camilla 5/2 - Bet Victor
Camilla Thurlow, the 28-year-old from Dumfries, Scotland has melted the hearts of Love Island fans this week. Her quiet demeanour meant I forgot she was even in the villa during the first few days but she has come out of her shell in no uncertain terms in the last two weeks.
Advert
The rumoured ex girlfriend of Prince Harry and explosive ordinance disposal worker, a job which takes her all round the world to places affected by abandoned or unexploded bombs or cluster munitions, initially found romance with Jonny Mitchell. However, fellow islanders and enraged viewers started to question Jonny's true intentions as he became increasingly frustrated with the slow progress of their romance.
Heartbroken when Jonny informed her that he wished to pair up with Tyla, Camilla found some sort of solace with rumoured father of three Craig Lawson, one of five boys to enter the villa at the same time. Despite a spark emerging between the duo and Craig working hard to win over Camilla, any hopes of a romance fizzled out.
However, in the last two weeks, Essex lad Jamie Jewitt has helped make Camilla "the happiest I've ever been." The 27-year-old Calvin Klein model wined and dined Camilla when he entered the villa two weeks ago and the pair struck up conversation over books and Jamie's fondness for non-fiction (beautiful). Since then, the couple have gone from strength to strength, particularly in the bedroom, despite Camilla insisting she was "not good enough" for Jamie. Viewers have most certainly enjoyed the burgeoning relationship which was marked with an idyllic date on a mountaintop in Thursday's episode set to Toto's Africa being played by a string trio (who said romance was dead?)
They are pretty solid second favourites but whether the couple have the X-appeal of some of the others in the market is a slight worry, with the word "boring" bandied about in recent days and the pair also the only couple still in the villa who are not officially boyfriend and girlfriend. With Jamie also criticised for apparently dumping his girlfriend hours before entering the villa, that could also play against the couple. Whatever happens in Monday's final however, the fact that Camilla has potentially found happiness will make plenty of viewers happy...
Chris and Olivia 11/4 - Paddy Power
To say their relationship has been anything other than plain sailing is probably a disservice to Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood. Guilford girl Liv has been in the villa from the start and was initially coupled up with Newcastle lad Sam. Chris, along with Jonny, was the first new boy to enter the villa a week into this year's show and seemed taken with Camilla in his vt piece, then took Montana on a date voted for by the public and then shacked up with Essex girl Chloe.
Advert
However, he and Olivia then became interested in one another and since then, their rocky relationship has been at the forefront of this year's show. Plenty of issues have affected them including the infamous Muggy Mike situation with Margate FC player Mike Thalassitis grabbing Olivia's attention throughout both his times in the villa, with the blonde bombshell causing uproar by suggesting she would bed Mike in the hideaway if no-one found it.
Chris and Olivia also broke up for less than a day as she feel Mr. Hughes couldn't handle her lively personality, with the pair frequently coming to blows in heated arguments that helped light up the series. This manifested most notably in rapper Stormzy tweeting that Chris could do better than Olivia, sending Twitter into meltdown and accelerating further support for Chris and angst towards Olivia.
However, Gloucestershire native Chris who lives on a farm, fended off Mike's attentions to eventually grab Liv's heart as she asked him to be her boyfriend this week. Viewers also warmed to the pair and their baby Cash Hughes in Wednesday's episode whilst their last date aboard a yacht helped instil to viewers that the pair's relationship has overcome its obstacles with Attwood asking Hughes to essentially move into her flat, a no-rap zone, after the series.
Third favourites for the crown, the worry with this pair is the continual doubt over whether they will last on the outside. Many have not taken to Olivia's lukewarm attitude towards Chris throughout the series and perpetual ups and downs which became forerunners of the series and they look a sensible price, particularly given the negative media furore which has engulfed Olivia following stinging criticism from an ex-boyfriend.
Marcel and Gabby 16/1 - Ladbrokes
At one point in the series, Marcel Somerville, who if you didn't already know (where have you been) was a member of hip hop group Blazin' Squad who landed seven top ten hits in the 2000s and Liverpudlian Gabby Allen were 4/9 favourites to win this year's series. Where did it all go wrong I hear you ask?
Well late arrival Gabby quickly found a spark with 31-year-old Marcel after entering the villa 3 weeks into the show. The pair didn't waste much time in making their relationship official either with Marcel asking the 25-year-old to be his girlfriend during a recoupling, which led bookmakers to take drastic action in heavily shortening the pair's price for victory.
Advert
However, the couple have endured trouble in paradise recently with the pair arguing over a host of issues and Gabby criticised for failing a lie detector test, which led many to question the bubbly blonde's real intentions. Comparably, Marcel's antics in Casa Amor which saw the music producer kiss the same girl twice during a challenge also didn't go down too well. The pair have rallied in recent days with Gabby declaring her love to Marcel and the pair enjoying a romantic helicopter date which Marcel marked by giving his girlfriend a jar full of notes laying out why he loved her.
Conversely, that hasn't transpired into a flood of money in the betting markets with news stories from home revealing Gabby's party lifestyle leading viewers to suggest that Gabby is playing a game in Majorca, with Ms. Allen being described as "fake". A row with fellow couple Alex and Montana who found out that Gabby and Marcel had secretly been texting each other criticising the duo has also fostered negativity. Their outsider price reflects their general lack of public support in recent days. From solid favourites to also rans, that sums up Love Island this year.
Montana and Alex - 25/1 Betfred
With one couple evicted from the island tonight, Alex Beattie and Montana Brown are the front-runners to leave paradise on Sunday evening after they received three votes from their respective couples as the pair they most wanted to leave the island.
Alex is a relative newcomer to the series arriving in the fourth week along with four other boys. The 22-year-old personal trainer from Newcastle quickly stole Montana's attention and they coupled up at the next available matching ceremony. The pair's relationship blossomed in no time in and out of the bedroom and viewers, who at one stage voted Montana as their favourite girl in the villa, seemed pleased for the Hertfordshire girl, who failed to find love with other contestants Dom and Sam.
However, the pair's price reflects a distinct lack of interest in the couple from the viewers and I would say, even their fellow islanders. Alex's laid back but quiet personality came out in all and sundry on Friday's episode where he told Montana in bed that he loved, before again implying his undying love for the 21-year-old whilst the pair enjoyed a romantic meal aboard a wobbly jetty. A bit like that platform, viewers don't seem convinced by the relationship, particularly with Montana dubbing herself "the ice queen" and flat out failing to reciprocate Alex's emotions. A bit like his steak, that must have been tough for Alex to take. The couple were also caught up in the aforementioned texting row with Marcel and Gabby and punters and viewers alike appear to have latched on to Alex's dull and Montana's somewhat annoying personality traits. It would be a shock to me if they made tomorrow's final.
Archer's Verdict - Kem and Amber to get the green light
Tomorrow night's final looks a fascinating showdown between four couples who have all had their fair share of ups and downs. However, I'm very keen on Kem and Amber to win Love Island at 11/8 with Sky Bet.
The couple have had a tumultuous yet entertaining time in the villa, overcoming a number of obstacles before finally realising how much they love each other (cringe). Unlike some of the other couples, their relationship has a powerful and distinct sense of love and comfort about it, coupled with a genuine desire to be together and make it work on the outside. That also stems from their sense of being equals within the relationship with neither person being overly dominant.
Their boyfriend/girlfriend status will also help their cause and I have been impressed with how strong they have been in the last few days, particularly during the lie detector test. The flood of money which has come for the couple this week intimates that the bookies are ducking for cover and they've taken evasive action in drastically shortening their price. However, 11/8 still has a good bit of juice in it and with both Kem and Amber well liked by the public, that should also guarantee victory.
Of the remaining couples, the potential dark horses are Chris and Olivia. Farmer Chris is adored by the public and if Olivia had not played around so much with his heart, they would probably be worthy favourites.
However, I still think Olivia lacks appeal with the viewers, whereas Kem and Amber, who have arguably been the most united and stable couple in the past two weeks continue to go from strength to strength.
Their love for each other is telling in recent comments by Kem who seems intent on marrying Amber as he opined: "This is the bird I've made my girlfriend, I am in love with her, I want to be with her forever. I already said to myself, I said to my mum and dad, the first girl I ever make my girlfriend, it is my intention for her to be my wife."
With comments like that and strong public support, I'm hoping for Turkish delight with Kem and Amber being crowned Love Island Champions 2017.
Words by: Danny Archer
Advert
