How Much Do 'Love Island' Contestants Get Paid?
By Lillian Marx
Contestants on Love Island are in a pretty enviable situation even before the money starts rolling in. While a free vacation with a bunch of attractive singles seems like a good deal all on its own, perks for the islanders hardly stop there.
During filming, the contestants are treated to free food, alcohol, and products from the series’ sponsor, Rimmel. Then there’s that prize money: £50,000 ($61,452.75), or £25,000 ($30,726.38) split between two victors. On top of that, they get a kind of stipend of £2.80 ($3.44) per hour (or £200 [$245.81] per week), according to The Sun.
The real rewards are reaped after the show wraps. The contestants make magazine and public appearance deals, plus they do traditional sponsorships. Then, of course, there’s the treasure trove that is sponsored Instagram content. OddsMonkey estimates that the top Love Island earners of all time can make thousands of pounds off a single sponsored post. That means that a mega-influencer like Molly-Mae Hague can leverage her 4 million followers to earn more than £15,000 ($18,435.83) per post, while Camilla Thurlow, with 1.4 million followers, might make £6,020 ($7,398.91).
Not all the cast members are actually taking advantage of this opportunity, as Cosmopolitan UK points out. Season 3 star Montana Brown told the magazine that she doesn’t do sponsored posts because, “Your followers follow you to look into your personal life, so why would I promote companies and brands that I don’t believe in?”
Bravo, Montana, for standing on principle. But can you really blame the rest of the contestants for cashing in? That #spon money makes the Love Island jackpot look like spare change.