We'd only just got over the last cohort of feral Love Island when ITV unleashed another dozen upon us for the summer edition of the show.
Not that we were complaining; especially when they looked like Mehdi Edno, a gorgeous French hunk who suddenly made us regret choosing Drama over French at A-Level. Oh, well, at least with that drama A-Level we can at least pretend to know French for a little while should we ever flirt with him...
The London/Bordeaux-based Islander is the all-round, total package and not only is French – the language of love – his native tongue, but he's tall, dark, handsome, works hard and has a Masters degree; so he's smart, as well as criminally good looking.
So here's everything you need to know about the French homme...
Who is Mehdi Edno?
Mehdi was an OG Islander on Love Island 2023, and he first graced our screens on Monday 5 June 2023.
Who was Mehdi coupled up with?
Mehdi was first paired with Ruchee Gurung by the public, but the pair did not have a romantic spark.
He then coupled up with Whitney Adebayo when she was just a bombshell and not yet the legend we know and love today. The pair were coupled up for about three weeks, until Mehdi was sent packing from the Island after not receiving enough public votes.
What happened with Mehdi and Leah?
Nothing in Love Island is ever straightforward, even those in seemingly strong relationships can still flirt with other Islanders in front of their partner and it's all fair game.
When Mehdi chose to pull Leah Taylor for a chat, it made Whitney reconsider how serious he was about them as a couple.
In an unaired scene, Mehdi reportedly also pulled Charlotte for a chat, and according to Whitney she was even “his type.”
When was Mehdi dumped?
Mehdi was dumped from the villa on day 23, and while he and Whitney were strong at the time, he advised her to stay and enjoy the rest of her time on the Island. Needless to say, she did.
What happened with Mehdi and Whitney on the reunion?
After his Love Island stint, Mehdi said he would wait for Whitney on the outside despite the Love Island icon getting to know Lochan Nowacki in Casa Amor. Whitney and Lochan coupled up a week after Mehdi's exit from the villa and made it all the way to the final where they came in second place behind Sammy Root and Jess Harding.
Whitney and Mehdi came face-to-face again on the reunion and things got awkward.
Maya Jama asked Mehdi if he was still planning on taking Whitney on a date or if he had switched up his stance on the matter, to which he replied, "I've switched up a little bit, of course, just because they are a good match, they are happy together. It's very good to see, I'm happy for them."
When Maya asked if it was all good vibes, Mehdi said, "From my side it is, yes."
Whitney then said, "I don't care. He's fine, we're cool but... coupled up doesn't mean you're coupled up. We had a great time together but it wasn't a relationship."
She then repeated "we're cool" a number of times which makes us think they're far from cool.
How old is Mehdi Edno?
He is 26 years old.
Where is Mehdi Edno from?
Originally from France, Mehdi splits his time between Bordeaux and London.
What does Mehdi Edno do for a living?
Before he entered the villa, Mehdi was a communications manager. With a French accent? Phwoar. Our knees just went.
He also spent the last few pre-villa years working and doing his Masters degree in communication.
What is Mehdi doing now?
Mehdi has been keeping it relatively low-key since his series ended - but give him a break, it's only been about a month. Only time will tell if he'll return to his career in communications or if he'll go full blown influencer.
Does Mehdi have Instagram?
Oui. You can follow him at @mehdiedno.