Love Island isn’t about the couples, it’s about the friendships

ITV’s Love Island is coming to an end after seven weeks of tears, tantrums and breakups. In each series, it’s always clear who the favourites are from the beginning of the show, and they’re always heterosexual romantic couples. But the real winners are the people who walk away from Love Island with the tightest friendships.

Islanders may ostensibly join the show to find romantic connections but many also find a brotherly or sisterly kind of love. No matter how disinterested we become episode after episode, or how monotonous a season has been, there is always a good thing that comes out of it – the friendships. Love Island is really about watching the strong, platonic relationships blossom that won’t win £50,000, even though they deserve to.

Each series we’ve been treated to watching a solid friendship develop, from Chris and Kem’s infectiously funny relationship in series three to Ovie and Amber’s big brother and little sister vibe in series five.

As each series progresses, so do the friendships of the Islanders. Series two saw the blooming friendship of Olivia Bowen and Tina Stinnes. Although Tina did not enter the villa on day one like Olivia did, as soon as she came in, they hit it off straight away and till this day are still the best of pals. Tina was even a bridesmaid at Olivia’s wedding to fellow Islander Alex.

It’s the same for Maura Higgins and Molly Mae Hague. Since their season ended, the pair have been inseparable. Some may find their relationship odd since Maura once fancied Molly’s guy, Tommy, and tried to take him away from her, but Maura and Molly obviously bonded over their shared experiences.

This year, the show had arguably produced the most loved up friendship couple ever, Kaz and Liberty. This pair has had no breakup, no test of loyalty and no forced feelings to play up to the cameras. Their bond was literally love at first sight. They were the first two people to enter the villa and drink champagne before everyone else piled in, and when Liberty decided to leave the villa in last night’s episode, they were the last to hold onto each other to say goodbye.

“You may not have felt like you found love in Jake, but I found love in you,” Kaz said to Liberty. With just a look and sometimes even a laugh, the pair seem to know exactly what the other is thinking or going to do.

Love Island proves that friendship really matters. Friends on Love Island offer each other advice, cry on each other’s shoulders and share clothes. These are perhaps the most intimate moments that keep viewers invested in the show.

While many couples have not stayed together during and after the show, one thing that I hope will always remain the same is the powerful friendships that are formed, that not even a postcard from Casa Amor or a new bombshell could stop.