Love Island 2024: Every former Essex contestant and where they are now as ITV show returns

As Love Island returns to our screens again for Series 11 - another contestant with a link to Essex is set to head into the villa. Ayo Odukoya, 25, plays for Isthmian League North side Redbridge FC - and he joins a long list of former Essex contestants.

Dating right back to Series 1 there have been multiple Essex Islanders on the show - and some have even gone on to win it. We have taken a look back at all of the contestants with links to our county.

Some of them are now married with children, and others have gone on to work in very different careers. As the show starts again tonight on ITV at 9pm we look at where they are now.

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Series 1

Jon Clark

Jon was coupled up with playboy model Hannah Elizabeth in the first series of Love Island, with the pair finishing in second place. They ultimately separated after leaving the villa - with Hannah joining the cast of Love Island All Stars earlier this year - despite infamously getting engaged on the show.

He went on to feature on The Only Way is Essex alongside his brother Chris from 2016 to 2018.

Travis Almond

Travis entered the villa on day 21 and was dumped from the island on day 28. The personal trainer took fellow islanders Lauren Richardson and Jess Hayes on dates in his short time frame in the villa.

He is now a personal trainer and a “butler in the buff”.

Lauren Richardson

Lauren entered the villa on day one and came third place alongside Josh Ritchie on day 41 - who joined the cast of Love Island All-Stars in January 2024.

The previous PE teacher now keeps her social media private and has stepped back from the limelight.

Series 2

Olivia Buckland

Since coupling up with Alex Bowen in the 2016 season, the couple have been inseparable ever since and even got married in 2018. Olivia also gave birth to her first son in 2022.

Olivia, who is from Chelmsford originally, launched her own swimwear with Mispap and regularly collaborates with brands on her Instagram.

Nathan Massey

Essex-born Nathan coupled up with circus performer Cara de la Hoyde from the very first episode. They became engaged in 2018, after Massey took his partner back to the original villa the show was filmed in to propose, and they married in the summer of 2018.

The couple also have two children named Freddie and Delilah.

Series 3

Kem Cetinay

One of the most renowned Love Islanders, Kem Cetinay, and his partner Amber Davies, won the third series and Kem has gone from strength to strength after leaving the villa.

In October 2017, he and fellow islander Chris Hughes released a single named "Little Bit Leave It" under the name Chris & Kem, which reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

Jamie Jewitt

After entering the villa, the Calvin Klein model quickly coupled up with bomb disposal expert Camilla Thurlow. The couple went from strength to strength and finished as runners up in the final.

The pair are now married, and welcomed their third child together last month and live as a family in Essex.

Georgia Harrison

Georgia, from Loughton, had previously appeared on The Only Way is Essex before entering the villa. She was quickly involved with one of the most infamous re-couplings in the show’s history, when she coupled up with fellow Essex contestant Kem Cetinay.

Since then, Georgia has appeared on Love Island All Stars, where she made it to the final with partner Anton Danyluk.

She also made it on BBC’s 100 Women List of 2023, as she led a campaign to bring an amendment to the UK's online safety bill to make intimate image abuse crimes, also referred to as "revenge porn", easier to prosecute following the conviction of her ex Stephen Bear in her own revenge porn case.

Series 4

Megan Barton Hanson

Southend’s own Megan Barton Hanson had a turbulent time in the villa after coupling up with Wes Nelson, which resulted in the end of his and Laura Anderson’s relationship. Megan and Wes ended up coming 4th place in the final.

Since leaving the villa, the glamour model has split from Wes and appeared on the reality TV show Celebs Go Dating. She now hosts a podcast, and produces content for OnlyFans.

Dani Dyer

Dani Dyer won the show alongside then-boyfriend Jack Fincham. However, they split shortly after leaving the villa. Dani is the daughter of Eastenders actor Danny Dyer and they co-host a podcast called “Sorted with the Dyers”.

Dani re-united with her ex boyfriend Sammy Kimmence had her first child with him, a son named Santiago. However, Dani and Kimmence split after he was jailed for 3.5 years for scamming two elderly men out of £34,000.

She is now in a relationship with Jarrod Bowen, West Ham footballer, and the couple welcomed two twin girls in May 2023.

Zara McDermott

Zara entered the villa as a "bombshell" contestant on day 15 and coupled up with Adam Collard, before being dumped from the villa ten days later. She has since taken part in X Factor: Celebrity with fellow Love Island contestants and starred in Made in Chelsea alongside current boyfriend Sam Thompson.

In July 2023, she presented the documentary Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge, based on the disappearance and death of teenager Gaia Pope-Sutherland. Zara has gone on to present her own BBC documentaries, including: Revenge Porn (2021), Uncovering Rape Culture (2021) and Disordered Eating (2022) based on her own experiences.

In August 2023 she was announced as a contestant on the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing. She became the first Love Island cast member to be cast on the series.

Jack Fowler

Harlow Town football player Jack dated a number of girls in the villa before coupling up with Laura Crane. The relationship didn’t last but they remained on good terms.

Jack has now transitioned from reality TV into music, and started DJing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Series 5

Francesca Allen

Francesca left the villa only twelve days after arriving, but is now the CEO and co-founder of jewellery, ear piercing and accessories company Cloud Eighteen, based in Loughton.

She also often shows off her excellent taste in fashion on her Instagram and collaborates with brands.

Series 6

Sophie Piper

The sister of TV presenter Rochelle Humes, Sophie Piper, appeared in the Winter Love Island in South Africa before the pandemic hit. Sophie was dumped from the island in week 4 after reuniting with Connor Durman, who she originally coupled up with.

Sadly the relationship didn’t last long, and Connor and Sophie split during lockdown. However, after appearing on Love Island All Stars earlier this year, Sophie is now in a relationship with Love Island series 1 star Josh Ritchie, who she met on the spin-off.

Series 7

Millie Court

Romford’s Millie Court won series 7 alongside her partner Liam Reardon. After a difficult period following Liam’s behaviour with fellow islander Lillie Haynes in Casa Amor, they went on to win the show. Millie and Liam are together now and seem stronger than ever before.

Toby Aromolaran

Now a semi-professional football player at Hashtag United, Toby was a runner-up in his series of Love Island, in his couple with Chloe Burrows. However, the pair sadly split at the end of 2022.

After coupling up with Georgia Steele in Love Island All-Stars earlier this year, the pair placed fourth - but decided to go their separate ways a month after leaving the villa.

Series 8

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, a British-Turkish television personality, actress and model, won series 8 of Love Island alongside partner Davide Saclimente. The pair split at the beginning of this year amid cheating allegations against Davide.

Ekin-Su is now an ambassador for @bperfectcosmetics and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year.

Josh Samuel Le Grove

Josh entered Casa Amor on day 26 before entering the main villa on day 31 with Danica Taylor, and was dumped from the island on day 39 having received the fewest votes from the public.

The fashion model is also a personal trainer and sports coach.

Series 9

Ron Hall

The only Essex boy on series 9 entered the villa on day 1 and came third alongside Lana Jenkins. The pair sadly split three months after exiting the Love Island villa.

Ron was the first visually impaired Love Islander to ever enter the villa – something that audiences will no doubt appreciate, given the criticisms the show has faced when it comes to disability representation and diversity.

Series 10

Josh Brocklebank

Financial advisor Josh entered the villa on day 39 and was dumped from the island just five days later with his partner Amber Wise despite only being coupled up for two days.

Tyrique Hyde

Tyrique, a current football player at Faversham FC, was a former Colchester United player. He placed third on the tenth season of Love Island alongside Scottish model Ella Thomas, but the pair have recently broken up.

Tyrique is also the son of famous footballer Micah Hyde, who formerly played in the Premier League for Watford FC in the 1990s.

Series 11

Ayo Odukoya

Essex footballer Ayo Odukoya, is set to join the latest series of Love Island, with its first episode airing tonight on ITV tonight at 9pm.

The 25-year-old, from Canning Town, plays for Isthmian League North side Redbridge FC.

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