Love Island UK final: Jess and Sammy crowned 2023 winners on a night full of surprises

As we approach tonight's Love Island final of 2023, let's look back on the series to give ourselves a refresh on all the drama, mad moves and declarations of love...

When did 'Love Island' start and how long has it been on for?

Love Island season 10 kicked off on Monday, June 5, 2023 and been entertaining us for eight weeks now. 

The final lands on Monday, June 31, where the islanders will be joined by Maya Jama to find out which couple has won what has been one of the dramatic seasons of Love Island UK to date.

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE HAPPENED IN THE 'LOVE ISLAND' 2023 SERIES?

There have been a number of challenges this year and even some change-ups from the norm.

Viewers have been disappointed to not have seen the famous Baby Challenge this year, however the replacements have been *giving * drama. As well as the few-day Casa Amor stint, the islanders have also taken part in the following challenges:

• Heart Rate Challenge
• Mad Movies
• Snog, Marry, Pie
• Meet the Parents
• The Love Island Grafties
• Sports Day

RECAP: What's happened so far on Love Island 2023?

It's safe to say season 10 has been one of the best Love Island UK seasons to date, especially in the drama department! Each week brought with it fresh tensions, mad moves and some of the most memorable Love Island moments. We could barely keep track and clearly, we weren't the only ones, as ITV producers even had to introduce the Love Island Grafties—just to be able to debut all the snakey and flirty antics. 

It's been a rollercoaster and one we want to relive, right from the start...

Week one: meetings, greetings and the first of the mad moves...

This season saw the public once again having the power to choose who the first 11 islanders would be coupling up with. In past seasons, the islanders have stepped forward for who they fancied, but this was changed up in season eight and again in ten.

The starting couples were; Molly and Mitchell, Catherine and Andre, Ruchee and Medhi, Ella and Tyrique and Jess and George. It was then revealed that Ella and Ty had actually met before IRL, though the latter didn't initially remember the run-in...

Love Island's first bombshell, Zachariah Noble then entered the fold and, despite him initially coupling up with Catherine, a connection with Molly quickly developed—much to Mitch's horror. Tensions quickly flared when Molly revealed that she was, in no way, closed off and did in fact want to get to know Zach—this then led to a whole lot of drama and eventually, to Mitch and Mol calling time of their couple.

The 12 singles were then joined by Whitney, who found a connection with Medhi, then Sammy—thus beginning his will-they-won't-they saga with Jess—before bombshells, Leah and Charlotte made their dramatic entrance, whisking Zach, Mitchell and Tyrique on dates. The girls' arrival sparked drama for Ella and Ty, with the latter wanting to get to know Leah. 

Week two: a rather messy recoupling...

Week two saw Ruchee become the first islander to be dumped for the villa before drama then bubbled up between Jess and Sammy...

Sammy revealed that he wanted to get to know bombshell Leah, only to do a full 180 at the next recoupling, where he chose Jess. This decision upset Leah, especially after he referred to her as "a test" in his speech—eek! This already-dramatic recoupling also saw the islanders choose to send home Andre and Charlotte, though their absence wasn't felt for long, as semi-footballer Scott soon entered the fold.

Week three: a familiar face returns...

Week three began with couples being treated to brunch, though all was not as it seemed as host, Maya Jama entered the villa to inform the islanders that they has a big decision to make.

The couples were asked to select two other pairings that they deemed least compatible' and just to spark further drama and tensions, they had to stand up and announce and then justify their choices in front of their fellow islanders—Love Island's producers ate with this twist!

In the end, Sammy and Jess and Mitchel and Leah had the most votes, but instead of packing their monogrammed suitcases, they were split up and made single—with the stipulation that they could not choose each other again in the next recoupling. This was a real blow for Sammy and Jess, well until Mal and Montel swooped in, taking the four newly single islanders on dates.

Mal and Sammy hit it off, as did Leah and Montel before Medhi and Whitney's relationship hit the rocks after she revealed he also wanted to get to know Leah. Newly single Jess decided to take the opportunity to really explore things with Mitchel, meanwhile, Zach and Molly went out on their first date.

Unfortunately, despite Zach and Molly's rollerskating date bringing them closer, producers had other plans, with season 2 alum, Kady McDermott, making her dramatic entrance and choosing Zach in the recoupling. This left Molly single and to everyone's surprise (even ours!), she was immediately dumped from the island.

Amongst all this, Ella and Ty also hit a rocky patch after Ty said he might also want to get to know Kady...

Week four: two islanders say their goodbyes...

After Molly's brutal dumping, Zach wasted no time in getting to know Kady, even trying to score a kiss on the terrace, not 24 hours after Molly's departure. Though he was swiftly humbled as Kady swerved him...ouch.

The Heart Rate Challenge made a dramatic (as usual) and blush-inducing return, sparking tensions between Whitney and Medhi after he kissed four of the girls during his performance—usually, the couples only kiss each other in the challenge...

They didn't have much time to patch things up, as Mehdi and Mal were dumped soon after, leaving Whit and Sammy single.

Just before Mal's exit though, Jess and Sammy talked about perhaps rekindling things, especially now that they could once again recoupling together. Whitney on the other hand, voiced her interest in both Montel and Zach.

As for the more established couples, Ella and Ty got closer on their first date with Ty finally telling her that he's closed off to getting to know any other islanders.

Week Five: hello, Casa Amor...

Hello, Casa Amor! Yes, the infamous second villa finally made its return with a little help from singer, Ne-Yo...

Following his villa performance, the Closer artist used the ruse of wanting a selfie with just the girls outside of the iconic pad, to send them off in cars to begin their stay at Casa. This will definitely live forever on our list of most memorable Love Island moments! 

By the time the boys realized that Ne-Yo had stolen the girls, it was already too late, leaving them to watch in dismay as Casa Amor lit up as they arrived. And in case you were wondering where Casa Amor is, in relation to the main Love Island villa Hilariously, they could literally see and hear the girls cheering from the garden...

As per, Casa provided a ton of 'omg' moments, including one none of us were expecting...Ella's head turning, only for Tyrique to stay loyal. Oh and did we mention that Molly Marsh returned?!

Despite all the boys moving madder than mad, Ty—the former player—defied expectations and didn't get to know any of the Casa girls, sticking fully with Ella. She, on the other hand, was reunited with Ouzy, who she already knew IRL and had almost dated. Meanwhile, Sammy kissed two Casa girls in the space of about 10 minutes as the boys also encouraged Montel to kiss Tink—only for him to stick with Leah in the recoupling.

Speaking of the recoupling, boy was that a nail-biting watch! Ella, to everyone's shock, brought Ouzy back, as did Catherine with Elom, leaving both Scott and Ty single. Naturally, a lot of tense chats and tears ensued...thankfully for Ella and Ty stands though, the pair did rekindle things by the end of the week, with Ouzy moving on to Kady, who was left single by Zach recoupling with his former flame, Molly.

Week six: what happened in Casa did NOT stay in Casa...

Every year it seems the islanders forget they're literally on camera 24/7, as Movie Night brought a number of mad moves and damning conversations to light.

Jess was left in tears over Sammy's numerous kisses, as she realized in Casa just home much she liked him. Similarly, Leah wasn't best pleased with Montel's antics and even less so with how he tried to justify it. You know when 'my mates told me to' is a good excuse?

Despite some awkward moments, the couples (especially Ty and Ella) were able to put Casa behind them. The peace was short-lived, however, the islanders were left reeling after the shock dumping of Catherine and Elom and Montel and Leah in just one evening, before Ella B—an acquaintance of Ty's IRL—made her bombshell entrance alongside Josh.

Their history caused some friction, especially after Ella B recounted to OG Ella, that Ty had made a comment about how it was a shame that the kiss they shared before entering the villa, would be the last. Ty maintained that he shut things down with Ella B, leading to a slight confrontation between the two Ellas.

Despite the Ty drama though, Ella B struck up a connection with Mitchel, creating a love triangle with Abi.

Week seven: it's giving "smug" and "selfish," apparently...

The drama between Mitchel, Ella B and Abi didn't let up in week seven, with 'Messy Mitch' flip-flopping between the girls before ultimately choosing Ella B, after claiming that how Abi was handling the situation was giving him the 'ick.'

Then came a round of 'Snog, Marry and Pie,' which resulted in more than a few couples in crisis. Molly and Zach were among them, after Zach chose to snog his former couple, Kady and marry Molly—a real rookie error there, Zach! Mitch also got handed his fair share of 'Pies' for his treatment of Abi...

The villa VIP party then saw Kady and Ouzy heading home, after Lochan and Whitney—after winning the popular vote—were allowed to choose. Alas, some islanders felt they'd made the wrong decision by dumping them over Ella B and Mitch.

A game of truths only fuelled the tensions as things got ugly between Mitch, Ella B and Abi and Scott, with Mitch calling the newly coupled Abi and Scott "fake." Surprisingly, close friends Ella and Whitney also fell out, with Ty and Ella choosing Whitney and Lochan as the 'smuggest couple.'

Whitney then called Ella "selfish" for showering before the rest of the islanders, before a text saw them heading out of the villa for a heart-to-heart, where things still weren't resolved.

Thankfully, they figured things up and we even saw Ty confess his love for Ella and Sammy asking Jess to be his girlfriend, cute!

Week eight: The Graftie goes to...

The final week definitely did not lack in the drama department. We saw Scott and Abi trying to build a connection, despite Abi feeling like he wasn't interested. Then the Talent Show made its return, with several islanders putting on quite the performance, especially Ty and Whitney.

Another twist was also introduced in the form of the Love Island Grafties, a brand-new award ceremony that allowed the public to vote for the best islander in categories like 'the snakiest'. The awards sparked a fair amount of drama and animosity, especially between Scott and Mitchel. After scooping three of the awards, Mitch accused Scott of faking his feelings toward Abi, prompting Scott to call him a 'knobhead.'

But they weren't the only ones to have a back and forth, Ty also called Lochan out for telling Whitney about Mitch's 'ick' comment about Abi—before then telling Whitney to 'shush' when she tried to defend him. 

We also got the traditional Parents' Day episode, where the islander's relatives made their villa debut—we even got an appearance from Zachariah's famous sister, radio presenter Snoochie Shy.

And to cap it all off, we saw the results of the public vote for the 'least compatible' couple, which left Molly and Zach, Abi and Scott and Ella B and Mitch in the bottom three, with their fellow islanders having the final call on which couple to send home. They chose Abi and Scott, who had just decided to be a friendship couple.

Because it was the last week, we also saw each of the four remaining couples go on their final dates and while this is usually a very romantic affair, we were served yet another 'Messy Mitch' moment.

Following their date, where they made things 'exclusive'—whilst being serenaded by world-class musician and cellist HAUSER by a beautiful lagoon—Whitney then told Ella B about Mitch calling her fake to the boys just the night before, when she returned to the villa.

Thankfully, the rest of the dates were pretty darn cute, with Zach confessing his love to Molly and Tyrique and Ella becoming boyfriend and girlfriend!

Season 10's islanders: A look back at this year's contestants

Love Island season 10 saw some real characters enter the villa, many of whom sent some new vocab our way, which we've since added to our list of fave Love Island phrases—like 'broski' and 'it's giving'.

The first 11 islanders were; Tyrique Hyde, Catherine Agbaje, Medhi Edno, André Furtado, Ruchee Gurung, George Fensom Jess Harding, Mitchel Taylor, Ella Thomas and Molly Marsh—with first bombshell, Zachariah Noble bringing the number up to 11. And before you ask, yes he is the younger brother of Snoochie Shy!

The OGs were then joined by a host of swimwear-clad bombshells over the ensuing weeks, as well as the five boys and five girls that made up this year's Casa Amor 2023 cast. So, as the countdown begins for the winning couple, let's recap all of this season's singletons...

• Josh Brocklebank (Bombshell) - Dumped
• Ella Barnes (Bombshell) 
• Ouzy See (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Lochan Nowacki (Casa Amor) - FINALIST
• Elom Ahlijah-Wilson (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Amber Wise (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Abi Moores (Casa Amor) 
• Molly Marsh - FINALIST
• Tyrique Hyde - FINALIST 
• Catherine Agbaje - Dumped
• Ella Thomas - FINALIST
• Mitchel Taylor 
• Jess Harding - FINALIST
• Whitney Adebayo (Bombshell) - FINALIST
• Zachariah Noble (Bombshell) - FINALIST
• Leah Taylor (Bombshell) - Dumped
• Sammy Root (Bombshell) - FINALIST
• Montel McKenzie (Bombshell) - Dumped
• Scott van der Sluis (Bombshell)
• Kady McDermott (Bombshell) - Dumped
• George Fensom - Dumped
• Ruchee Gurung - Dumped
• André Furtado - Dumped
• Charlotte Sumner - (Bombshell) - Dumped
• Mal Nicol - (Bombshell) - Dumped
• Mehdi Edno - Dumped
• Kodie Murphy (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Benjamin Noel (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Tink Reading (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Danielle Mazhindu (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Zachary Ashford (Casa Amor) - Dumped
• Gabby Jeffery  (Casa Amor) - Dumped

WHO LEFT LOVE ISLAND LAST NIGHT?

Last night's episode—the penultimate of the series—ended with a dumping, where any couple who received a vote for least compatible by their fellow islanders was at risk.

The vote meant that Mitch and Ella B were at risk of being dumped from the island—after being voted by Whitney and Lochan, Ella and Tyrique, Jess and Sammy and Zach and Molly—as well as Whitney and Lochan, who were voted as least compatible by Mitch and Ella B.

The results of the public vote revealed that Whitney and Lochan had been saved by the public, meaning that Mitch and Ella B were dumped from the island.

Mitch had been in the villa since the first day, as he was in the original Love Island 2023 lineup—meaning he was in the villa for 55 days—while Ella B was brought in as the final bombshell on day 37—making his stint only 18 days long.

What happened in Love Island: Aftersun?

After being the latest couple to be dumped from the villa, Mitch and Ella B appeared on Love Island: Aftersun, where there were reunited with Scott and Abi, a couple who they had had a lot of contention with in the villa after Mitch was coupled up with Abi before they all recoupled.

The foursome chatted with Maya, who grilled Scott about whether he would be rekindling his relationship with Catherine. If anyone needs a reminder, Scott and Catherine had been coupled up and seemed to getting on really well before Catherine recoupled with Elom during Casa Amor.

Scott confirmed to Maya that he and Catherine are just friends at the moment, but to "never say never"...

Who are the Love Island 2023 finalists?

While the race is still on the for the Love Island crown, let's take a trip down memory lane with our final four couples...

Whitney and Lochan

Whitney and Lochan are a fan-favorite couple and for good reason! The pair met and instantly hit it off in Casa Amor, with Whitney choosing to bring him back.

Since then, they've been going from strength to strength with Lochan even saying he sees a future with her during their final yacht date, before telling her he's never felt so strongly for someone in such a short space of time—n'aww!

Tyrique and Ella

Ty and Ella have certainly been on a journey! They've been together since day dot (a classic Love Island phrase for ya!), though they've endured their fair share of trials, with Ty getting to know Leah and Kady and Ella even bringing back Ouzy from Casa Amor.

They figured things out though, becoming the first pair to make things 'exclusive' before Ty declared his love for Ella. On the final date, they even became boyfriend-girlfriend—could they be set to make the fabled list of Love Island couples still together?

Sammy and Jess

Sammy and Jess is another couple that has had quite a rollercoaster of a journey together, from being barred from recoupling together to Sammy kissing two girls during Casa Amor.

They, like Ty and Ella though, found their way back to each other and seem to have worked out their issues, with Sammy even asking Jess to be his girlfriend in week seven.

Molly and Zach

Molly and Zach had quite a unique experience in the villa, with Molly getting dumped from the island just as they were starting to really forge a connection—only to return for Casa Amor.

Despite trying to move on with season 2's Kady, Zach rekindled things with Molly and despite a few blips (*cough, Snog Marry and Pie cough*), they got back on track, with Zach even telling Molly he loved her on their final date!

What happens in the live Love Island final?

In case you were wondering if the Love Island final is live, why yes it is—unlike the other Love Island episodes, which are not live. The live Love Island final will see host, Maya Jama, enter the villa one last time, with a live-studio audience in tow. 

The four final couples will then join Maya (and said audience) in the villa's garden to recap their Love Island journey and best couple moments before Maya then announces who the third and second runners-up are. We'll also likely see snippets from their final few hours in the villa, including their 'prom night'—where they read out declarations of love to each other.

At last, Maya will then welcome the final two couples to the stage, where she will then declare the winners of the show and award them their £50k prize money—which honestly, we forget about every year! 

In previous years, the winning pair have also been given the choice to either split the money or steal it but considering how no one ever chose the latter option, ITV scrapped it back in 2022.

And that's that! The islanders will pack their monogrammed suitcases before jetting home at last—and we'll have to endure a few sad and drama-less months until the 2024 season arrives...

How to vote in the Love Island final

Typically there is a penultimate vote on either Thursday or Friday to determine which of the four remaining couples are going in to the Sunday's final.

To cast your final vote for the winning couple during the show's live final, simply head to the Love Island voting app when the vote opens (you'll likely be prompted by our host, Maya, or by Love Island's narrator, Ian Stirling). Then select your favorite couple and press 'vote now'—just making sure you're watching the episode live, else your vote won't count!

Then once you've made your choice, just keep your fingers crossed and manifest your season ten winners!

Who will win Love Island?

While it's still too early to call, Betway has dubbed Whitney and Lochan the favorite couple to win with odds of 8/13, closely followed by Ella and Tyrique. 

If you want to ensure your favorite pairing is crowned victorious, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the final vote!

And check back here too, because we'll let you know when to vote...

Voting is now closed! It will reopen during the Love Island live final after the third runners-up have been announced.

We'll keep you updated on when voting has reopened so that you can vote for your winning couple. When the vote reopens, make sure to head over to the Love Island voting app to have your say...

The five-minute countdown is on people! Get your drinks and popcorn ready and sort out your prime comfy position on the sofa because it's time to hear that iconic show opening for the last time until 2024...

And we're off! Maya is inside the villa, wearing a gorgeous black dress and her new leo hairdo. All the four finalist couples were welcomed with cheers from guests watching the final in the villa.

As usual, we're now getting treated to the islanders' final moments on Love Island UK—except this time, it's the boys who are treated to a pampering day out! 

But the girls get pampering too—even though they stayed in the villa, our four final ladies got treated to a Boots Love Island Beauty Box! And for UK viewers, it's actually available to buy— it's full of industry favorites for a fraction of the price (it'll save you £200!).

Time for the usual Love Island ball and all the contestants are looking incredible—get the tissues ready before those love declarations come in...

Ella and Ty are first! Despite having (many) ups and downs, they are one of the favorite couples to take the big prize home.

"It was you from day one and it's still you now", Ty tells Ella, before saying he can't wait for their next chapter.

Jess and Sammy go up next! These two had a journey but they're ending on an 'I love you'—something they hadn't said to each other before.

Time for Zach and Molly, with Zach giving a shoutout to the challenge that brought them together, Absolute Bankers.

"I lost you once, I won't lose you twice", Zach said, before asking Molly to be his girlfriend. And she said yes! 

Our final couple is here, Whitney and Lochan! Unlike the other three couples, it's been smooth sailing for these two and Whit acknowledges that by saying she's happy that she's not starting her speech that way.

These declarations are making us nostalgic for the Tommy Furry and Molly Mae days! Those two just got engaged and we wonder if any of these couples could have the same fate one day?

While the islanders jump in the pool for one last fully-clothed swim (another Love Island tradition), let's recap those declarations:

• Sammy and Jess said 'I love you' for the first time to each other
• Molly and Zachariah are officially boyfriend and girlfriend 

Eight minute countdown until the vote closes! Here's how to vote if you haven't yet.

Love Island UK are treating us to a recap of season 10 and it's making us very nostalgic! So. Much. Drama! 

The vote is officially closed! We'll find out which couple came forth in a just a few minutes, after the break.

The couple in fourth place is... Molly and Zach!

During their final interview, Zach confesses he thought he was seeing things when Molly walked in during Casa Amor. The two are now boyfriend and girlfriend and they're looking forward to the outside.

Time for third place and it's... Ella and Tyrique!

This is a surprise as they were one of the favorites to win, especially as they're the only original couple who made it to the final.

In their final interview, Ty and Ella reveal they are planning to move in together in London, where Tyrique is based.

The reactions are in and it seems like no one expected Ella and Ty to come out in third place...

Almost there! One more break and we'll have our Love Island UK 2023 winning couple.

And our winning couple is... JESS AND SAMMY!

To recap, Love Island UK couples ended in this order: 

• 1st: Sammy and Jess
• 2nd: Whitney and Lochan
• 3rd: Tyrique and Ella
• 4th: Molly and Zach

Tonight was full of surprises! Whitney and Lochan were the favorite couple to win series 10 of Love Island UK and were even voted the most popular couple by the couple just a few episodes ago but missed out on the top spot to Jess and Sammy. 

Twitter is still recovering from the shock, with plenty of reactions: 

Maya Jama also confirmed when the Love Island UK reunion will be: Sunday at 9 pm BST folks.