What Love Island contestants eat in the villa and why mealtimes aren't shown

Love Island is back as a fresh batch former contestants head back into the villa for another shot at finding love. The second all-star series features the likes of Gabby Allen, Curtis Pritchard and Kaz Crossley.

As fans of the hit ITV2 dating show will know, there are lots of things that aren't quite as they seem in the Love Island villa. And from conversations about the outside world to the smoking area, we certainly don't get to see everything as viewers.

Another part of villa life that doesn't make it to the screen is meal times. While the Love Island contestants cook themselves breakfast each morning and can often be spotted with a snack in hand, we don't ever see them making or eating their lunch or evening meal outside of specific challenges.

This is because a catering station is set up in the grounds of the villa with chefs on hand to rustle up the islanders' main meals of the day. The contestants are joined by the production team, with salads and barbecued meats like burgers and ribs often on the menu.

Islanders with allergies and specific food requirements are also catered for. Past contestant Afia Tonkmor, who is vegan and allergic to fish, said that she was provided with her own vegan meals in separate containers.

Meat-free Monday and Sunday dinners are also said to be a regular fixture, and past contestants have revealed that they are allowed takeaways on certain evenings too. There's also a tuck shop-style cupboard in the villa's kitchen where they can knock and ask for specific snack foods.

But while some islanders have raved about the food, some haven't been so impressed, with Chyna Mills previously revealing on an Instagram story that she lost weight while in the villa due to not enjoying the food on offer.

“I barely ate in the villa, hence why I lost so much weight," she said. "Some nights were alright, I’m sure we had a kebab one night. The lunch was s**t. It is sad but I’m getting my appetite back now which is good.

"The food just wasn’t to my liking some days – I can’t say every day I didn’t eat, but you just couldn’t make things yourself if you didn’t like the food."

Meals aren't recorded as this is seen as down time for the islanders, who are otherwise filmed all day. This means all chat about what's going on in the villa is banned, with the production crew often using mealtimes as a chance to pass on notices like when laundry day is, according to ex-contestant Olivia Attwood.