EXCLUSIVE: Former Love Island Casa Amor star Joel Kirby has revealed just how much of the ITV dating show is scripted – and the reason he was told off by producers13:04, 23 Jul 2026Updated 13:05, 23 Jul 2026A former Love Island star has revealed just how scripted the ITV dating show which prides itself on helping singletons find true love really is.‌Since it started airing in June 2015, there has been a string of success stories, with the likes of Alex Bowen and Olivia Buckland of series two, Jamie Jewitt and Camilla Thurlow of season three, Luca Bish and Grace Jackson of All Stars 2025, and Tom Clare and Molly Smith, who got married this week.‌Series 11 of the show saw content creator, Joel Kirby, arrive in Casa Amor on Day 28. However, just three days later, the Devon-born influencer was sent packing.‌The outspoken star has now lifted the lid on his brief spell on the show. He says that while events seen on the telly are led by the emotions and feelings of contestants, the producers do have a lot of sway."So when I went on, you're only filming for about five hours a day," Joel said. He went on to add: "An hour and a half in the morning, an hour and a half after lunch, and about two hours after dinner."‌Joel reveals that the contestants must follow strict instructions, including not talking to the opposite gender when the cameras aren't rolling. He said: "The rest of the time, you're just chilling with the boys, not allowed to talk to the girls, not allowed to talk about the show at all."Literally just vibing, which is genuinely weird because you've obviously gone on a show to meet someone and you're spending most of the day playing cards with a bunch of lads."‌But life in the villa isn't always as fun and dramatic as it appears. Joel explained that time in the villa, which has no clocks or forms of entertainment, could be "boring".He said: "You kind of get so bored in the downtime. I tried backflipping into the pool and got shouted at. But the thing is, no one tells you who to speak to either. The chats are real, the conversations are real. You choose who you want to spend the time with."The only bit that's even close to staged is when filming starts back up, they ask you to spread yourself around the villa, which you were going to do anyway. The producers do pull you into the Beach Hut to check you're alright, ask you how you're feeling, ask you how your conversations are going. It's less manipulation and more of a support network.‌"So honestly, it's barely staged at all." His sentiment was echoed by Love Island's executive producer and senior casting producer, Lewis Evans, who has worked on the show for several years.Speaking previously to the Mirror, when asked how often producers have to tell contestants they've not heard conversations, he explained: "We don't. We don't tell them anything about what to say or what to do. The only thing we do is ask that if they go for a cigarette, they go alone as we can't film chats that happen out there, but we don't tell them what to say or how to act."Love Island returns at 9pm tonight on ITV2 and ITVX.Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.