THE game is well and truly launched in Love Island, but who plays it best?
With Casa Amor bringing in a new crop of bombshells to wreak havoc, relationships crack under the strain.
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Tasha pulls away from Andrew, Jacques feels the waters despite being cutesy about Paige, and Davide goes from girl to girl faster than you can say “bellissimo!”
But beneath the bravado, what really drives the stars rocking villa romances?
Here, relationship expert and psychologist Jo Hemmings gets inside the minds of Love Island’s top ‘game players’.
Tasha – “Strive to be tactical”
Tasha never really made up her mind about Andrew, hesitating between telling him she’d never felt so close and safe with anyone before while being visibly upset when she didn’t. not chosen by Charlie.
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Her lack of self-awareness and dating experience makes her a gamer and it didn’t take long for her to meet new boy Billy.
Tasha also lacks confidence, so while she doesn’t yet know if she’s ready for a committed relationship yet, we just know it won’t have a happy romantic ending for her.
She strives to be a tactical player, but she still doesn’t know what the endgame should look like.
Dami – “Fighting Guilt”
Although Dami had a bit of guilt about being away from Indiyah, he was pretty much overwhelmed by the mere thought of six new girls walking into the villa.
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He knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself, so while he’s charming, his levels of temptation make him a key player.
He has a conflict of interest about playing the game to his limits, while blaming others for being more sure of themselves.
He called Luca ‘wrong’ when it was really about feeling guilty about the direction he needed to go, keeping all his options open – romance with Indiyah or someone else , to be popular while keeping an eye on the main prize.
This makes him unpredictable, reckless, and he’s headed for some serious squirms when he leaves his current bubble and the villas merge.
Davide – “Showing up at all costs”
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Self-proclaimed Latin love god Davide is the ultimate player.
While his desire for Ekin-Su helped him get over his pride at being cheated on by her, he benched her while he decides if Coco, Mollie, or maybe another new girl might have the fortunate to have the opportunity to associate with him.
He’s ruthless and is on the show to show off at almost any cost and he has little respect for the feelings of the girls he meets, as long as he can remain the hottest boy in the villa and still carry on. to be admired for and complimented on its “perfection”.
He is arrogant enough to associate himself with anyone he thinks will help him win.
Jacques – ‘Delusions of grandeur’
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Jacques went from declaring strong and previously unknown feelings to Paige to “testing himself” with any girl who gives him the time of day, in the blink of an eye.
He is unable to be responsible for his own behavior without cheating to find out if he has genuine feelings for Paige or not.
Currently “challenging” those feelings by flirting heavily with Mollie and Cheyanne, he’s like a kid dropped into a candy store, binging as long as he gets the chance.
Jacques is a naïve gamer with delusions of grandeur – he wants to be popular with viewers, liked by as many girls as possible, and maximize his fun while keeping Paige on the back burner.
He seems unaware that this strategy risks backfiring in spectacular fashion.
Coco – “Desperate for camera time”
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Currently in a snog-fest with Andrew, Coco also had a full kiss and flirt with Davide.
She is particularly attracted to those guys who are already in stable relationships, enjoying her position as one that could break them.
She has little shame, doesn’t care about being a girl’s girl, and relishes her role in turning heads.
Coco is after airtime and post-series success. She will disrupt as much as possible, with anyone who has the potential to get her what she wants.
She has no real interest in Andrew, he’s just the latest prop to ensure she gets plenty of camera time and she’ll move on if someone else seems more promising.
Mollie – “In it for the game”
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Having originally targeted Jay, Davide and Jacques as her man targets, Mollie has him flirting with Luca as well, though he has made it clear that he is solid with Gemma.
She has cool, confident and determined player moves, having currently pocketed Davide and happy to get quite intimate with him in bed.
Mollie doesn’t know what her ultimate game plan is yet, but she won’t help but find out.
If she finds love, it will be a bonus for her, but it’s about playing the game that matters most to her right now.
