Kady McDermott predicts Love Island will ‘lose its specialness’ and future contestants will not be ‘genuine’ unless ITV2 change the format.
The former Islander, 25, who starred on the series in 2016, told MailOnline she believes Love Island has already peaked in terms of its viewing figures, and the popularity of the show will start to decline, in the same way it did with Big Brother.
In an exclusive interview, Kady said the fundamental flaw with Love Island is that contestants know how many millions are watching – and the potential to make money has become more important than finding a partner.
‘They need to change it up completely’: Kady McDermott predicts Love Island will ‘lose its specialness’ and future contestants will not be ‘genuine’ unless ITV2 change the format
She said: ‘I don’t think it will get bigger every year now. If it comes on next year, it will be big and get viewers because people will have missed it and want their Love Island fix. But we’re on series seven now?
‘I think it will be like a Big Brother situation where it does so many series and then loses its specialness. They will need to change it up completely.
‘You’re not going to get the organic realness from people. People know what they’re going on there for and fair play, they may want to change their life but then people won’t be their complete, genuine selves, as they know so many people are watching.’
Kady was in a relationship with Scott Thomas, 32, who she met on Love Island and lived with in Manchester until their split in 2017.
‘I don’t think it will get bigger every year now’: The former Islander, who starred on the series in 2016, believes Love Island has already peaked in terms of its viewing figures
The influencer is now with former TOWIE star Myles Barnett – but the pair has had a tempestuous romance, splitting up and getting back together on a number of occasions.
Kady has just moved into a new house with Myles and is hesitant to say they’re getting on, as she doesn’t want to ‘jinx’ their newfound happiness.
She said: ‘It has been stressful, the house isn’t finished yet, we’re still waiting for our oven and our TV will hopefully be delivered this week.
‘I moved three times in three years so I am so over it now. I hope this is the house I’m settled in for a while.
Former couple: Kady, who dated Scott Thomas after meeting on the show, said the fundamental flaw with Love Island is that contestants know how many millions are watching
‘I didn’t spend the first lockdown with Myles, a week before he sold his house, and I moved back in with my mum and he lived with his sister so we had a bit of time apart.
‘We are so good at the moment; I don’t want to jinx anything because we’ve had our ups and downs but I am really looking forward to living with him. We are really good at moment; touch wood, which I don’t like to say in case things go wrong!
‘I was on Love Island when I was 20 and I’m 25 now, for the last five years I have lived on my own.
‘Obviously I lived with Scott for a year and then I moved back to Hertfordshire and on my own for two years. It’s going to be challenging living with someone again. I love my own space and my own company.’
‘We are good at the moment’: Kady is now with TOWIE star Myles Barnett – but the pair has had a tempestuous romance, splitting up and getting back together on a number of occasions
Kady, who has teamed up with fellow former Islander Joanna Chimonides on an edit for clothing brand Quiz, has become ‘numb’ to trolls following years of feeling ‘down’ due to receiving disturbing messages online.
She said: ‘If someone messages me I don’t bat an eyelid now. I am completely numb to it.
‘But the first years after Love Island, I used to get a lot of trolling and I was really down and affected. I have actually had death threats and scary, scary messages before from people implying they knew where I lived, I’ve had the worst, worst, worst comments.
‘People think they can write whatever when it has such damage to someone.’
Style: Kady has teamed up with fellow former Islander Joanna Chimonides on an edit for clothing brand Quiz, with the pals modelling the glamorous line in front of illuminating lights
Kady and Joanna, who was on Love Island in 2019 and dated Michael Griffiths, collaborated on Q by Quiz clothing after bonding over the show and being part of celebrity culture.
Joanna said: ‘I did my edit with Quiz back in August and they suggested me doing an edit with a friend and I said absolutely and said Kady and it’s all come about now. It’s exciting, no one has ever done a duo of two different Love Island years, and we’re the first to do it.
‘We’re both very similar, have the same morals, we went to a trip to LA together and we really got on. We bonded and it’s so nice for me to have a friend during my first year in the industry and have advice from someone who’s been in it for so long.
Kady added: ‘The fact that it happened we were really excited. The shoot was at such a big location it was easy to maintain social distancing and it ran really smoothly.’
Pals: Kady and Joanna, who was on Love Island in 2019 and dated Michael Griffiths, collaborated on Q by Quiz clothing after bonding over the show