Love Island final catchup: Dani and Jack announced as 2018 winners - as it happened

Crunch time as the four remaining couples hope to win the ITV2 competition

Dani and Jack announced winners of Love Island 2018

Love Island is complete. After two months that have seen fun, fornicating and friendship, along with a solution to the Münchhausen trilemma and cures for at least three diseases, the finale of ITV2's ostensible search for love has finally taken place, with Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham emerging triumphant and splitting the £50,000 prize money.

Dani and Jack were the bookies favourite and have been since they first coupled up very early on in the show. Kaz and Josh were tipped to be second, but were beaten by relatively new couple Laura and Paul. Wes and Megan finished fourth in the final episode, a couple who won each other's heart but never quite the public's.

Relive the Love Island finale with our live blog of the one and a half hour episode below (please allow a moment for the stream to load):

Previously on Love Island we saw Alex and Alexandra booted off the show. Support for the lobster-coloured doctor dwindled over the previous few days after breaking things off with Alexandra, the public finally voting the pair off on 29 July.

Meanwhile, the other contestants met their respective partner's parents, the biggest talking point being when Jack met Danny Dyer (albeit through Skype), the Eastenders actor calling the contestant a "top geezer". Music to Jack's ears.

Here's how you can apply for the 2019 series.

The Love Island live final was broadcast on ITV2 at 9pm and can be streamed on the ITV Hub.

Key Points

• Dani and Jack are triumphant
• Laura and Paul unexpectedly finish second
• Kaz and Josh are pushed down into third

[30 July 2018 10:13 · Andrew Buncombe]

Hello and welcome to The Independent's final Love Island live-blog of the series! We'll be watching and posting along as Jack and Dani, Wes and Megan, Kaz and Josh, Laura and Paul all compete for the £50,000 prize money.

[30 July 2018 10:16 · Andrew Buncombe]

  ↵Here's a look at where you can watch the Love Island final surrounded by fellow Loveites...

[30 July 2018 10:51 · Andrew Buncombe]

Our essential guide on how to impress your friends with a killer Love Island party...

[30 July 2018 11:50 · clarisse.loughrey]

Here's how fans reacted to Danny Dyer's surprise appearance last night...  

[30 July 2018 12:47 · Andrew Buncombe]

  ↵

And the official most popular Love Island Tweet of the series is (drum roll please)...

[30 July 2018 12:50 · Andrew Buncombe]

A couple of facts from Twitter: Dani and Jack have been the most-Tweeted about couple of the series, followed by Wes and original Laura (who were, of course, a couple in the early days of the series).

Wes also comes in third, himself and Megan having caused a storm, followed by Georgia and Josh. Fifth most-Tweeted about couple are Megan and Eyal (remember him?).

[30 July 2018 13:15 · Andrew Buncombe]

Some odds from Paddy Power:

1/14   -   Jack and Dani 

13/2   -   Paul and Laura

14/1   -   Josh and Kaz

16/1   -   Wes and Megan

[30 July 2018 13:42 · Andrew Buncombe]

Missed last night's episode? Catch up on everything that happened here...

[30 July 2018 14:09 · Andrew Buncombe]

A sneak peak at the finalists celebrating the news that they have made it into the final!

[30 July 2018 14:35 · Andrew Buncombe]

Our political sketch artist Tom Peck has sketched last night's dramatic episode...