Love Island 2021 was the year we finally reunited with our fave reality TV show after bosses were forced to postpone the show the previous year because of the coronavirus pandemic, and boy was it worth the wait.
From Toby Aromolaran changing his mind every single day before finally realising he was in love with Chloe Burrows, to one of the most DRAMATIC Casa Amor twists that saw Liam Reardon nearly lose 'love of his life' Millie Court after he kissed and shared a bed with Lillie Haynes.
Who could also forget the Shakespearean love drama that involvedLiberty Poole choosing self-love over her doomed romance with Jake Cornish? Oh, and hurricane Faye Winter when she discovered Teddy Soares' flirty antics in Casa Amor?
Since then, most of the series seven couples have split (SOB), but we'll never forget the iconic Islanders of 2021. If you're wondering what they're up to these days, then you're in luck. Allow us to reveal all...
What are the cast of Love Island 2021 up to now?
Love Island 2021 official cast – where are they now?
Sharon Gaffka then
Sharon Gaffka was the first 2021 Islander announced to be heading into the villa and she definitely caused a stir with her strong opinions, even having a huge row with Hugo when he revealed he didn't like "fake girls". Sadly, Sharon failed to find love in the villa and she was dumped on day 19.
Sharon Gaffka now
Sharon has focused on being an influencer and advocate since leaving the villa, campaigning for women's rights and even setting her sights on becoming an MP. She also hosts her own podcast called Girls Know Nothing. In August 2023, Sharon shared the news that she'd suffered a miscarriage 18 months prior and opened up about her grief.
Aaron Francis then
Aaron Francis was another OG Islander who entered the villa on day one for a summer of love. He coupled up with the likes of Shannon, Sharon and Kaz, but left the villa hand-in-hand with Lucinda after he came up trumps in their love triangle with Brad.
Aaron Francis now
Aaron and Lucinda split just days after leaving the villa, deciding to be friends instead. Since then, Aaron's kept his love life out of the public eye. He now focuses on his career as men's skincare influencer on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Liberty Poole then
Brummie Nando's waitress Liberty basically became the nation's sweetheart when she entered the villa, winning us all over with her adorable personality. As we all know, she had a tumultuous (and pretty one-sided) relationship with Jake in the villa before she pulled the ultimate boss move and decided to walk out just days before the final after realising she deserved more.
Liberty Poole now
Liberty's been a very busy woman since she left the villa. She became an ambassador for brands like InTheStyle, Skinny Tan and Boux Avenue, competed on Dancing on Ice and launched a podcast with her bestie Kaz. She's also a huge advocate for body positivity on social media and launched an Instagram series called Second Skin earlier this year. She will also be heading back to the Love Island villa, this time in Fiji to take part in the Love Island Games.
Hugo Hammond then
Hugo Hammond, who was born with clubfoot, became Love Island's first physically disabled Islander when he entered the villa in 2021. The former PE teacher and cricket player found himself rather unlucky in love, although he definitely wasn't short of options. AJ, Georgia and Amy all came in with their sights set on him and he finally seemed to find a spark with the Casa Amor bombshell, Amy.
Hugo Hammond now
Hugo and Amy split just days after leaving the villa following an awkward exit during which he branded his villa love life "tragic". This led to Amy slamming Hugo as "fake", so it's safe to say their break-up was not amicable. Hugo moved to Australia last year to play cricket and it was there that he met his current girlfriend, Love Island Australia star Layla Ruby John. Although Hugo is now back in the UK, they're still dating and she recently came to visit him on this side of the world.
Shannon Singh then
Shannon Singh already boasted a mighty 153k followers on Instagram when she entered the villa. She described herself as a 'party girl', but we unfortunately didn't get to see much of her because she was shockingly dumped after just 48 hours.
Shannon Singh now
Since leaving the villa, Shannon has reunited with DJ Ben Sterling who she dated before the show. They've been together for two years and have even moved in together. Shannon's also back on OnlyFans, streams on Twitch and hosts the Hushed podcast.
Jake Cornish then
Jake's time in the villa was defined by his rollercoaster relationship with Liberty. They coupled up on day one but she was left devastated on Movie Night when producers played a clip in which he admitted he "didn't want to rip her clothes off", but Jake always brushed off any of Liberty's concerns with his classic "you're my gurrrlfriend" line. Jake joined Liberty in walking out of the villa just days before the final when she called off their relationship.
Jake Cornish now
Jake looks very different these days after undergoing a hair transplant. He's had loads of new ventures since leaving the villa, including his own garden furniture company and he's also tried his hand at acting - he's even set to star in a new film alongside former EastEnders star Maisie Smith.
Kaz Kamwi then
Kaz Kamwi had quite the rollercoaster ride in the villa; she coupled up with Toby on day one and things seemed to be going swimmingly until he had his head turned by Chloe. After finding herself in a friendship couple with Aaron, things began looking up for Kaz when bombshell Tyler walked into the villa. They coupled up, but they both strayed in Casa Amor before reuniting and finishing the series in fourth place.
Kaz Kamwi now
Kaz is living her best life as a social media influencer these days. She's always collabing with brands on Instagram or heading off on swanky press trips. Kaz is still BFFs with Liberty and they recently launched their own podcast. It's thought that Kaz is single after she split from Tyler three months after they left the villa.
Brad McClelland then
Brad McClelland was quite the Love Island Lothario and coupled up with Faye, Rachel and Lucinda during his time in the villa. However, none of those romances worked out and Brad was single when he was dumped on day 16.
Brad McClelland now
Brad and Lucinda appeared to briefly rekindle their romance on the outside world when they were pictured looking cosy on a couple of nights out. But fast forward to the present day and he's currently dating Daisy Maguire, the sister of England footballer Harry Maguire.
Chloe Burrows then
Chloe quickly became a fan favourite when she appeared on Love Island by taking no BS from the boys and delivering some incredible one liners. "I am the table, bruv," still lives in our heads rent free. She spent most of the show coupled up with Toby, although there were a few bumps in the road. The pair still managed to make their way to the final, finishing in second place.
Chloe Burrows now
Since leaving the villa, Chloe has become the first EVER female ambassador for JD Sports and was even a stand in on ITV show The Games. She's also appeared with Toby on Celebrity Catchphrase. They seemed like the perfect couple and even moved in together in Essex but in 2022 they split. Chloe now lives with Millie and is looking for love on TV once again, this time on Celebs Go Dating.
Toby Aromolaran then
Toby was the chaotic character reality TV needed in 2021, as his head turned towards a different girl almost every day during his stay in the villa. However, he finally realised Chloe was The One after his stay at Casa Amor.
Toby Aromolaran now
Since Love Island, Toby kept his head firmly on Chloe and they moved in together in a plush pad. They've sadly since split, but Toby's still keeping himself busy with work. He's got quite the following on TikTok where he regularly posts videos, he's landed a gig as a BoohooMAN brand ambassador, launched his own podcast Fancy A Chat? and still 'kicks a ball around' for Hashtag United.
Faye Winter then
Ah 'hurricane' Faye and her iconic brown lipstick. She was like marmite in the villa and definitely split opinion when after Casa Amor, but she overcame all the odds and finally believed in love when her Teddy came along and showed her how she should be treated.
Faye Winter now
Three months after leaving the show, Faye moved into a new home with Teddy but after a fairly long relationship (by Love Island standards), they announced their break up in February 2023. Faye is passionate about doing work for causes she believes in, including being a Campaign Star for Guide Dogs and campaigning with PETA to end the slaughtering of bears in Canada to make caps for the Queen's Guard.
Liam Reardon then
Welsh lad Liam walked into the villa in week one as a bombshell and the nation quickly fell for him when he first had that dinner date with Millie in the garden. We're probably never going to forgive him for kissing Lillie in Casa Amor, but his Tom Jones singing almost makes up for it.
Liam Reardon now
Since winning the show, Liam's done some modelling work (no surprise at all as he's VERY handsome) and appeared in a few ASOS campaigns alongside Millie. He moved from Wales to live with Millie in Essex, although he had to move into a pad of his own when they split. It's not known, however, if Liam has moved back in with Millie - and her bestie Chloe - now that they're back together.
Chuggs Wallis then
Chuggs Wallis - whose real name is Oliver, FYI - baffled us all when he revealed his nickname stands for 'cuddles and hugs'. Sadly, no one in the villa wanted to give him any cuddles and hugs and he was dumped when Rachel chose to save Brad instead.
Chuggs Wallis now
Chuggs has been focusing on his bucket hat business, Booby Buckets, since leaving the villa. He's also still pals with some of the Love Island boys and was recently spotted partying with Liam and Aaron.
Rachel Finni then
Rachel's iconic bombshell strut into the villa will go down in Love Island history. She immediately chose to couple up with Brad, however their romance didn't work out and she ended up being dumped from the villa.
Rachel Finni now
Rachel has returned to her pre-villa job as a luxury travel specialist after admitting she can make more money doing than that being an influencer, however she still regularly collaborates with brands on Instagram.
Millie Court then
Millie won us all over with her Gavin and Stacey Essex/Wales romance with Liam. She also provided all the outfit GOALS and LOLs. That keyboard moment? Obsessed.
Millie Court now
Since leaving the show a worthy winner, Millie has landed her own edit and collection with ASOS (full circle as she used to work there), jetted all over the world to create content and has started her own YouTube channel. The world is Millie's and we just live in it. Millie and Liam moved into a plush Essex pad shortly after leaving the villa and dated for a year before sadly confirming they'd split in July 2022. However, fast forward to the present day and they've rekindled their romance.
Lucinda Strafford then
We can't say reaaaaallllyyy without thinking about Lucinda Strafford. From her romance with Brad that was brutally cut short to her friendship with Millie and Chloe, Lucinda had a busy time in the villa.
Lucina Strafford now
Lucinda left the villa with Aaron, but they soon declared that they were just friends and it wasn't long before Lucinda rekindled things with Brad before calling it a day. She then reunited with her former boyfriend Aaron Connolly. As of right now? Well, Lucinda's now single again and is living her best life, having signed deals with ISawItFirst and even travelling to Coachella with her best pal Millie - where she was spotted flirting with actual Spiderman (aka Hollywood actor Tobey Maguire).
Teddy Soares then
Remember the moment Teddy came back for Faye with her little dog teddy? Our hearts. He was Love Island's sweetheart, despite a small flirty mistake in Casa Amor.
Teddy Soares now
Teddy is often seen showing off his style on Instagram and he's landed jobs with Jack Wills and Sky. As of February 2023, he's single.
AJ Bunker then
AJ Bunker entered the villa with her sights set on Hugo but, although they coupled up, things didn't work. She then had a flirtationship with fellow bombshell Danny but that failed to blossom before they were dumped.
AJ Bunker now
Since leaving the villa, AJ has launched a new career as a celebrity MMA fighter. She's also got an OnlyFans page, if that's your thing.
Danny Bibby then
Danny Bibby's entrance into the villa became shrouded in controversy when it came to light that he'd used a racial slur in an Instagram comment prior to signing up for Love Island. He apologised from within the villa and then coupled up with Lucinda. Things didn't work out between them and he was dumped after just five days.
Danny Bibby now
According to his Instagram bio, Danny is the creative director of three businesses - two clothings brands and a fragrance company.
Tyler Cruickshank then
The nation fell in love with Tyler Cruickshank when he entered the villa and whisked Kaz off her feet. However, things changed a little when he returned from Casa Amor with Clarisse - prompting him to have his 'head scrambled'. Kaz and Tyler couldn't deny their feeling for each other, though, and they soon coupled up again.
Tyler Cruickshank now
Tyler has been a busy boy since leaving Love Island. Despite his split from Kaz, he's most recently spoke out in support of mental health for men, where he revealed that there 'is a dark side to Love Island'. Earlier this year, Tyler was linked to 2022 Islander Danica Taylor although neither of them ever confirmed rumours of a romance.
Abigail Rawlings then
Abigail Rawlings made an immediate impact as a bombshell, turning Toby's head the minute she strutted into the villa. She was left single when he returned from Casa Amor with Mary and later coupled up with Dale. Despite a shared love of tattoos, Abi and Dale's romance didn't work out and she admitted they were just friends.
Abigail Rawlings now
Abi still works as a tattoo artist. She rekindled things with her pre-villa ex-boyfriend David Aboro Fitzpatrick after leaving the villa and they moved in together, but she revealed she was single in July 2023.
Georgia Townend then
Georgia Townend entered the villa alongside Abi and Tyler with her sights set on Hugo. Although she gave it her best effort, they failed to spark a connection and she was dumped just days before Casa Amor.
Georgia Townend now
Instead opting for a career as an influencer like many of her co-stars, Georgia returned to her pre-fame job working at Lidl's head office. She now works as a marketing manager at Marks & Spencer.
Mary Bedford then
Mary Bedford was one of six Casa Amor bombshell girls and immediately turned heads when she entered the villa. She ended up coupling up with Toby, although he rekindled things with Chloe post-Casa and Mary recoupled with Aaron Simpson.
Mary Bedford now
Mary and Aaron split shortly after they were dumped from the show. She later revealed that she her grandma died while she was in the villa and so she didn't have time to focus on the relationship when she returned to the outside world. Mary works as a model and influencer and also hosts a podcast called The Blonde Diaries with Love Island 2018 star Ellie Brown.
Amy Day then
It appeared that Amy Day had finally ended Hugo's unlucky in love streak when they locked lips in Casa Amor. They recoupled but things didn't work out in the main villa when they were dumped and he awkwardly branded his love life "tragic" right in front of her.
Amy Day now
Amy went on to date former Shipwrecked star Patrick Deaco after ending things with Hugo, however she currently appears to be single. She now works as an actress and property negotiator.
Clarisse Juliette then
Clarisse Juliette caught they eye of a couple of boys in Casa Amor but she returned to the main villa with Tyler. He later ended things after deciding to rekindle his romance with Kaz and Clarisse was NOT happy.
Clarisse Juliette now
Although she once revealed Lewis Hamilton had slid into her DMs, it seems that Clarisse is single at the moment. She's the owner of a jewellery brand called Chaleur.
Kaila Troy then
Kaila never really seemed to find a connection in Casa Amor, although she later revealed she'd grown close to Teddy in unaired scenes, and she sadly was dumped without making it back to the main villa.
Kaila Troy now
Kaila still works as DJ and plays shows all over the world, from Dublin to New York. She's also a dancer and regularly shares videos of her routines on Instagram.
Lillie Haynes then
Lillie Haynes well and truly bombshelled, turning Liam's head and snogging him even though he was coupled up with Millie. In some seriously iconic scenes, she spilled alllll the tea when he decided against recoupling with her.
Lillie Haynes now
Lillie briefly dated fellow Casa Amor bombshell Jack Barlow when they left the villa, although they didn't last long. She was also linked to Pete Wicks, although he's denied they were ever a thing. Lillie, who now splits her time between Abu Dhabi and Newcastle, recently went public with a mystery man on Instagram but appears to be keeping his identity under wraps for now.
Salma Naran
Poor Salma got the infamous 'missing' Casa Amor edit, only receiving about 30 seconds of air time during her whole stay in the villa - so sadly it wasn't much of a surprise when none of the boys chose to couple up with her.
Salma Naran now
Salma now works as a fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer on Instagram and YouTube.
Medhy Malanda then
Another Casa Amor bombshell who received little to no air time, Medhy briefly flirted with Kaz in the villa but didn't make enough of an impression for anyone to couple up with him.
Medhy Malanda now
These days, Medhy is a social media influencer and content creator.
Matthew MacNabb then
Matthew MacNabb was brought back to the main villa by Kaz, but he was left disappointed when she chose to get back together with Tyler.
Matthew MacNabb now
Matthew appeared on Dancing With The Stars in his native Ireland shortly after leaving the villa and narrowly missed out on a place in the final with his dance partner Laura Nolan. Although they didn't take home the trophy, Matthew and Laura did spark a romance on the show and are still together to this day. Work-wise, Matthew is a fitness influencer.
Dale Mehmet then
Cheeky chappy Dale coupled up with Chloe during Casa Amor, but things fizzled out shortly after they returned to the villa. He then gave things a go with Abi, but they ended up remaining friends.
Dale Mehmet now
Dale now owns a barber shop in Glasgow called Huncho Barbers and is loved up with his girlfriend Darcy, an aesthetics practitioner.
Sam Jackson then
Sam spent most of his time in Casa Amor flirting with Faye. She briefly considered recoupling with him, but decided to remain loyal to Teddy - meaning Sam was dumped.
Sam Jackson now
Sam is now dating former The Apprentice contestant Camilla Ainsworth. He seems to spend most of his time in the gym, so his Instagram is full of shirtless pics. You're welcome.
Harry Young then
We're not going to lie, we have little to no recollection of Harry's time in the villa. He was dumped on day 32 and that's about all that happened.
Harry Young now
Harry has kept a pretty low profile since leaving the villa and returning to his job as a car salesman.
Jack Barlow then
Although he didn't find love in the villa, Jack briefly dated fellow Casa bombshell Lillie outside the villa.
Jack Barlow now
Jack's romance with Lillie didn't last long outside the villa. He's still working as a professional driver and often hosts supercar meets in his native Surrey.
Aaron Simpson then
Despite entering the villa towards the end of the series, Aaron Simpson still managed to strike up a romance with Mary and they left in a couple.
Aaron Simpson now
Aaron returned to his football career after leaving the villa and currently plays for Salisbury. He also has a side hustle as health and nutrition advisor and has been dating fashion designer Jessica Lowe since last year.
Priya Gopaldas then
Priya Gopaldas was another late entrant. She flirted with Matthew before coupling up with fellow bombshell Brett, but she quickly got the ick when he revealed his favourite cheese.
Priya Gopaldas now
Priya graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery earlier this year and now works as a doctor. She's still got a passion for running and regularly competes in ultra running competitions.
Brett Staniland then
Brett entered the villa as the last bombshell of the series, but failed to find a spark despite his best efforts to romance Priya.
Brett Staniland now
Brett works as a model and content creator. He also is a sustainable fashion advocate and campaigner.
Who won Love Island 2021?
Bombshells Millie and Liam won the series despite both not being part of the original line-up, so they went down in Love Island history. Chloe and Toby came second, Faye and Teddy came third and Kaz and Tyler came fourth.
When did Love Island 2021 start?
The 2021 series of Love Island was delayed after the coronavirus pandemic and the original contestants had to endure lockdowns and rules. The OG line-up were quarantined for THREE WEEKS before the series started on Monday 28 June.
Where did Love Island 2021 take place?
Despite rumours that Love Island could take place in the UK for the first time, filming took place in its original home of Majorca.
The series was the last to be held in the iconic original villa (it was sold in March 2022 for £2.7m), as the Love Island 2022 batch of Islanders set up home at a luxury villa on the outskirts of picturesque village Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.
Who hosted Love Island 2021?
Laura Whitmore returned to host Love Island for the second time and she wasn't alone after giving birth to her baby daughter. Luckily her husband Iain Stirling also resumed narrating duties, so they helped each other out.
"I love doing it, it's such a fun show. And I actually think it's been good to have had that break, for everyone who works on it, because we all went through a loss. It's nice to realise how much people missed the show," she told Stella magazine.
Maya Jama took over from Laura as Love Island host in 2023.
How can I watch Love Island 2021?
You can catch up on the ITV Hub, where all nine series of Love Island are available to binge.