This year’s Love Island contestants will have to do things differently to succeed

Authenticity is the watchword for those looking to cash in once the hit show has ended, writes Ellie Fry

Casa Amor more more: there are big bucks to be made post-show (ITV)

With Monday night’s Love Island final looming, the contestants’ summer of love is nearly over. While relationships on the hit show are often fickle, their upcoming careers as influencers seem more certain, as the Islanders have racked up hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, while managers and brands are chomping at the bit to cash in on these new TV personalities.

Unlike during the early years of the show, participants are geared up for the lucrative influencer ecosystem from the get-go. Clothing brand I Saw It First is the official sponsor of the show and provides the Islanders with all of their clothes, while many contestants have a social media presence ahead of their debut (this year, Kaz was a content creator before entering the programme, for example).

But in such a saturated market and in the midst of a global pandemic, this year’s Islanders are going to have to do things a bit differently to convince us that whatever they are flogging is worth buying. Their sponsored posts will either be met with enthusiastic fans who are looking for a healthy dose of escapism, or the resentment of those feeling influencer fatigue, given the state of current affairs.