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Your support makes all the difference.The gloves are off as the two newcomers to the Love Island villa decide which of the ladies they will be stealing away from their partners. Dancer Curtis and boxer Tommy have a bit of a double act going. Curtis radiates top-level amiability whilst coming across slightly calculating in his heart-to-hearts with Tommy. And his new pal makes no secret of his attraction to Lucie, who is off enjoying cuddles and kisses with wavy-haired Joe.
This has left street food magnate Joe in a bit of a pickle as Tommy inevitably choses to couple up with Lucie. As the bombshell drops, poor Joe looks like a bacon sandwich a few days past its best-by date. But it also provides some actual drama at the end of an hour that finds the series still very much in its bedding-down phase.
Everyone loves Lucie
The surfing aficionado is clearly the popular girl in class. Last night, hairless bum advocate Anton tried to dump Amy for her. And poor Joe spent most of this episode completely besotted with his Cornish bestie. But it was all for nought as, utilising his “godlike powers” – so Curtis dubbed them – new boy Tommy picked her as his pretend significant other. As the producers no doubt intended, this has set the stage for some Tommy v Joe bad blood. But if the battle lines are drawn on which side will the rest of the contestants stand? It’s like Avengers: Civil War, only with tans and pecs instead of super-powers.
Is Curtis this year’s master manipulator?
It’s only a silly reality show and the professional dancer is no doubt a stand-up bloke in real life (also he’s actually vaguely famous as one of the pro hoofers on Ireland’s answer to Strictly…). But here Curtis comes across as a bit calculating. He’s been doing the rounds, chatting to Yewande (who seems sweet and, let’s be honest, too nice for an ITV2 reality bearpit). But he at the same time urges Tommy to get to Lucie by picking Amber (eh? says Tommy and everyone watching). And when it came to it Curtis himself goes for Amy rather than Yewande. What are you at, Curtis?
Is this the year of the wallflowers?
Yewande, as we’ve stated, come across as far too normal to have signed up to eight weeks on an ITV surveillance island in the sun. Ditto Callum, a regular chap who has been paired off with the slightly-demanding Amber. She just isn’t into this at all and made no secret how dreary she found Callum when chatting to the other ladies. Also fading into the background are heavily-tabooed-but-basically-okay Michael and pharmacist Anna. Presumably, they will eventually emerge from their shells. However, for the second night they shuffle in the background while the real drama revolved around the Joe-Lucie-Tommy love triangle and Curtis’s Mr Popular routine.
Where are the sparks?
We have our first sleepover and the inaugural slap-and-tickle type contest. The former is a non-event while the flirty game show, in which contestants have to work out which of the girls and boys have admitted to doing something naughty, feels screamingly ho-hum. Story-wise the real significance of the event is that it coughs up the first Joe-Lucie kiss. They are at it again later – only for Tommy to stomp in and claim Lucie as his. That chiming sound isn't the News at Ten bells ringing out – it's Joe's heart splintering into a zillion pieces.
Read our live blog for all the updates on the first episode as it happened.
Love Island airs every weekday and Sunday at 9pm on ITV2.
Hello and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of Love Island episode two!
If you watch the show and can't help but wonder where on Earth Love Island is filmed, this is for you:
Not long to go until the next episode. Who's your favourite couple so far? Let us know in the comment section below.
20 minutes to go. Get those personalised water bottles at the ready.
Bring yourself up to speed with everyone currently in the Love Island villa below...
The episode has only just begun and one of the guys has already said: "It is what it is". They're really trying to make this happen.
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