UPDATE: 'Love Island's Sherif Lanre breaks silence on leaving the show

Love Island ex contestant Sherif Lanre has spoken out about being axed from the show saying: “It is what it is”.

The 20-year-old chef from London was booted off the ITV2 reality show on Tuesday for breaking the rules and was subsequently edited out of the latest episode of the show with no explanation.

Lanre wrote on Instagram: "Thank you to everyone including my friends and family for the support I've come back to.

"I appreciate you all and hope I provided some good, positive moments during my time on Love island and for anyone wondering I'm all good. #ItIsWhatItIs #BiggerThingsToCome.”

Several explanations for Lanre’s eviction from the villa have begun circulating including leaked messages purported to be have been sent by him claiming he was disqualified for fighting with love rival Anton Danyluk.

Read more: 'Love Island': What rule did Sherif Lanre break to get axed from the show?

But Love Island bosses have dismissed the Instagram direct messages as fake, insisting they do not indicate the rule breach that led to his eviction.

A screenshot of messages accredited to Lanre claim: “Anton happened. Purposely moving to Anna while I’m right next to him touching her leg.

“Asked him for a chat in private because I wanted to confront him and it got heated and security had to split us up.”

Love Island bosses are refusing to confirm why he left, but rules include no

His mother Diana has said: “I don’t know the real reason yet, but I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.”

Other rumours of the rule breach doing the rounds online include that he was caught masturbating in the hot tub and that he had smuggled a smartphone into the villa and was using it to contact the outside world. Perhaps the most elaborate theory of all is that he gave Tommy Fury pinkeye by break wind onto his pillow as a prank.

The Sun newspaper reports that Lanre was simply spending a lot of time alone in bed and in the shower and refusing to take part in the show’s activities.

Read more: Sherif Lanre’s exit only briefly mentioned during Love Island

A source said: “He’s been refusing to get up and take part in chats with the others and said he didn’t like any of them.

“When producers told Islanders they have to get ready to film a challenge, Sherif was deliberately spending ages in the shower. He said he couldn’t be bothered.”

After announcing at the start of the episode that Lanre had agreed to leave the villa due to breaking the rules, he was edited from all footage aired on Tuesday night - except for one shot where eagle-eyed viewers spotted his arm.

Since Lanre’s departure contestant Anna Vakili has now been left single.