Share and Follow
Kordell Beckham and Serena Page. Kim Nunneley/Peacock
Winning Love Island comes with several advantages beyond just finding a romantic partner.
The widely-watched dating show premiered in the UK in 2015, where contestants moved into a lavish Spanish villa, all competing to discover love. The victorious couple took home a £50,000 prize. Its American counterpart, however, awards a $100,000 prize to the ultimate winning pair. This raises the question: Are contestants genuinely seeking romance, or are they more interested in the financial reward?
“During my time on the show, I could tell from the start who was genuine and who wasn’t. When the show ended, everyone said, ‘Ekin, you were spot on.’ So, I’m usually quite perceptive,” Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu shared in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in June 2024. “That was one of my strengths on the show, and I honestly didn’t think I would come out on top.”
She continued, “The audience is incredibly sharp. You can see who’s pretending, who’s truly in love, and who’s feeling insecure. People often say, ‘You’re just on vacation.’ But it’s not a holiday, folks! You’re working. It’s a TV show. We all know it’s a TV show. It’s what we signed up for.”
Love texts led to romance in the Love Island USA villa. This adored British dating series crossed the Atlantic in 2019, introducing American contestants eager to find love in a luxurious tropical setting. In its first season, winners Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli formed a strong bond […]
Ekin-Su won Love Island UK season 8 with then-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti, where they opted to split the prize pot. Shortly after the August 2022 finale, Ekin-Su and Davide planned to use the money to pay for a joint vacation for their respective moms. They ultimately called off their on-off relationship for good in January 2024.
Keep scrolling to see how other Love Island UK and Love Island USA alums spent their winnings:
Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli — USA Season 1
“With the prize money, we may take a trip to Europe,” Elizabeth exclusively told Us in August 2019. “I’ve never been, and I really want to go. Nothing’s set in stone, but then we may move out to L.A. eventually.”
It is not known whether Elizabeth and Zac got to enjoy their European adventure — they announced their breakup several months after leaving the villa.
Caleb Corprew — USA Season 2
Fresh off the pandemic-set season 2 filmed in Las Vegas, Caleb planned to save his half of the fund. (He won with then-girlfriend Justine Ndiba, who later proved victorious during 2023’s Love Island Games alongside U.K. season 4 alum Jack Fowler.)
“I’m probably just gonna be saving mine, nothing fancy,” Caleb said on the “After the Island” podcast in October 2020. “Oh, [I might] buy my mom a nice pair of shoes!”
Timmy Pandolfi — USA Season 4
Timmy joked on a January 2023 episode of the “Excuse My Friend” podcast that he and now-ex Zeta Morrison got paid “real money [and] not Monopoly money.”
Timmy, like Caleb, decided to save a bulk of the prize, though he did decide to splurge on a trip to visit Zeta’s native England.
“Me and Z went on a trip to London, mid-way after the show,” Timmy explained, adding that he also bought “a couple new items and accessories” to help set up his own podcast.
Marco Donatelli and Hannah Wright — USA Season 5
The season 5 favorites agreed to donate a portion of their earnings.
“We wanna definitely give back to the kids who live in the area where I’m from. I’m from Palm Springs, but there’s [also] Desert Hot Springs is where I work,” Hannah told Collider in September 2023. “There’s some tough areas, [and] I feel like the kids could benefit from shoes, extra supplies, stuff like that.”
Marco felt the same about helping locals in his native Youngstown, Ohio.
“[It’s] a place where not a lot has been able to be fortunate enough to give back and donate to that area. I grew up in a hard area and I just know that there’s a lot I can give back to,” he explained to the outlet. “[We’ll] definitely invest for our future. I think that’s the most important thing. But on a spending basis, I don’t think we’re gonna spend a dime. I think we’re gonna donate and invest for our future.”
Ben Symons/Peacock Casa Amor is the ultimate relationship test on Love Island. The dating show first became must-watch summer TV in the U.K. in 2015 with a stateside spinoff premiering four years later in 2019. “It feels like a Sims game. When I walked in, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is a computer game.’ … […]
Kordell Beckham and Serena Page — USA Season 6
“I’m gonna be investing and putting it towards the business and my career,” Kordell told Us in July 2024. “But as far as spending, I’m not gonna spend it on anything unless she wants a little something. [Serena] might get a little something.”
Serena also planned to save her half but did need to “hook [her] girl” JaNa Craig up after betting that her fellow islander and her then-boyfriend, Kenny Rodriguez, would have been crowned the champions.
“I thought she was gonna win simply because I was just very unsure about how America was feeling about me and Kordell because we haven’t had the easiest journey,” Serena told Us. “Past [Love Island] winners, they may not have gone through everything we’ve gone through. It has been a lot — a little dramatic, a little crazy. I’m like, who knows? They’re either gonna love it or hate it, and I was just like, ‘Maybe they hate that s–t. I don’t know. I know some people did, but it is fine because the majority don’t.”
Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales — USA Season 7
Immediately after their July 2025 win, Amaya already knew what she wanted to do with her half of the prize fund.
“I do want to donate to a charity. I want to give back to a community — that’s one of my biggest passions,” Amaya told host Ariana Madix on the broadcast. “I want to make a positive impact on a group of people who are in need.”
Bryan, for his part, revealed that he planned to “invest the money” and support mental health causes.
“It is extremely important to me. I went through it when I was younger,” he added. “I definitely want to help little kids face their emotions.”
Cara de la Hoyde — UK Season 2
After Cara and now-husband Nathan Massey won season 2, they revealed during the finale how they planned to use their portions of the prize to give back to their loved ones.
“I can’t wait to get home and now I can buy my mum a house and give her the deposit for it,” Cara gushed to then-host Caroline Flack.
Nathan, meanwhile, planned to treat his dad to a “golfing trip.”
Since the U.K.’s Love Island originally debuted in 2002, several of the reality TV couples have stood the test of time. Love Island follows a different group of singles every season who have to pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter […]
Amber Davies — UK Season 3
“I bought myself a Chanel bag,” Amber quipped to The Sun in August 2017 after winning with now-ex Kem Cetinay. “I thought to myself, ‘Well I did win the show.’ So I treated myself to a celebratory Chanel bag. Just one handbag isn’t going to hurt, is it?”
Dani Dyer — UK Season 4
Dani, whose dad is British actor Danny Dyer, won season 4 with then-boyfriend Jack Fincham. To celebrate, Dani commemorated the outing with a gold Cartier bangle.
“What did we do with the money? I actually don’t know,” she joked during a November 2024 episode of the “Chloe vs. The World” podcast. “I just worked in a pub. Well, I was a dental nurse and then, for some reason, I was like, ‘I don’t know what I wanted to do.’ Then I worked in a pub and [after I won] was like, ‘I can buy whatever I want now.’”
Greg O’Shea — UK Season 5
After Irish bombshell Greg split the prize fund with Amber Gill, he decided against blowing the money on gadgets or trips.
“It’s so boring, I saved it,” Greg said during a September 2019 of his RTÉ 2fm radio show. “I actually kept it in an English bank account and waited for the conversion rate to improve before bringing it across. I’m a boring old fart like that.”
Finley Tapp and Paige Turley — UK Season 6
“We haven’t had a chance to do much with it. We’ve got an Xbox that’s keeping us entertained,” Finley told the U.K.’s Metro in May 2021. “[Also,] a camera for some photos but that’s as exciting as it gets.”
Finley and Paige, who won the first winter version of the British dating show, also moved in together when the show wrapped. They confirmed their breakup in June 2023.
Liam Reardon — UK Season 7
Liam initially wanted his half of the money, which he split with girlfriend Millie Court, to go toward a “property business,” which did not happen.
“It was spent on Deliveroo, taxi, McDonald’s. I can’t really say where it went too much,” Liam recalled on a June 2023 episode of the “Chloe vs. The World” podcast. “Two years down the line and I still haven’t set up no property.”
Davide Sanclimenti — UK Season 8
“I’m going to buy a trip for my mum. We are thinking we will go to New York with me and Ekin and our mums,” Davide said on the CapitalXTRA radio show in August 2022.
Love Island U.K.’s Davide Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu have split less than one year after they were crowned the winners of the reality dating show. “@ekinsuofficial & I are no longer together,” Davide, 28, announced via his Instagram Story on Thursday, June 29. “I am grateful for the memories and opportunities we shared together and […]
Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan — UK Season 9
Kai and Sanam, who got engaged one year after appearing on Love Island and married in 2025, wanted to use their money to give back.
“I am going to be soppy but I am going to give my mum some of course because it’s just me and mum so I have got to support her as well,” Sanam said during an appearance on the official “Morning After” recap podcast in March 2023. “[Kai and I] have actually spoken about … [how] we come from jobs where we both work with children and I actually want to be able to do something for those children.”
Kai and Sanam work as a gym teacher and a social worker, respectively.
Jess Harding — UK Season 10
While Jess and Sammy Root’s villa romance was not built to last, they had agreed to use the money to “treat their loved ones to something nice” and travel together.
“I feel like we want to go to Far East Asia,” Jess told OK! magazine after the finale. “We definitely want to do that. We’re not in a rush to get a house. We’re both 22. We’re both young and we want to see the world, that’s something I have always wanted to do.”
Jess also planned to continue growing her Candy Aesthetics business.
Molly Smith — UK All-Stars
“I’m not even thinking about what to do with [that] at the moment, I’ve put it to the side. I’m just going to really try to focus on work and things at the minute,” Molly, who won All-Stars with boyfriend Tom Clare, told the Daily Star in April 2024. “I’m not thinking of what to spend it on or anything like that.”
Mimii Tafara — UK Season 11
Mimii revealed on an October 2024 episode of the “Chloe vs. The World” podcast that she tried to be “sensible” with the money — after purchasing a few non-essentials.
“Girl, I’m so scared of losing [it],” she quipped to host and season 7 alum Chloe Burrows. “I’ve done my shopping; I’ve done my enjoyment. I’m gonna wait because I want to get a new car and I’m moving out, too, so I need to be able to [afford that.]”
Mimii won alongside Josh Oyinsan, but they broke up within two months of leaving the villa.
Toni Laites — UK Season 12
Toni, the first American contestant to appear on the U.K. series, won in August 2025 with partner Cach Mercer and already had ideas for their winnings.
“I got some student loans to pay off,” Toni said on a postmortem episode of the “Love Island: The Morning After” podcast. “I might get Shakira [Khan, the season’s runner-up] that mug that she wants.”
After leaving the villa, Toni moved to London and actually spent her prize on rent.
“Not many people can pay six months of rent up front. My entire prize fund went to rent,” she told Big Issue in April 2026. “I was living off savings from my regular job because I couldn’t work here. Not to mention paying for all those Airbnbs and hotel[s]; they weren’t free. … Renting is very expensive in this city. I was bleeding out money.”
Love Island UK is able to stream on Hulu, with the U.S. version streaming on Peacock.