Love Island stars Shakira Khan, Toni Laites and Yasmin Pettet have opened about the divide between the girls on this year’s series of the show, saying the villa was ‘frosty’ and ‘really tense’.
The divide among the female contestants on the ITV2 show became a talking point among fans, with Toni, Shakira and Yasmin feuding with the likes of Meg Moore and Helena Ford.
Speaking to i-D magazine, the three ladies insisted the tension was very real and there was often an uneasy atmosphere in the villa.
Shakira said: ‘When you come around the corner and they stop talking, you feel isolated, it feels frosty, really tense, and it’s not nice. It wasn’t a bad edit; we tried to fix it, but that was our experience, we lived it.’
Toni, who won the show, and Yasmin, who entered the villa as bombshell, both felt animosity from some of the other girls.
Shakira Khan (pictured) has opened about the divide between the girls on this year’s Love Island, saying the villa was ‘frosty’ and ‘really tense’
The divide among the female contestants became a talking point among fans, with Toni, Shakira and Yasmin feuding with the likes of Meg Moore (pictured) and Helena Ford
Shakira insisted the tension was very real and there was often an uneasy atmosphere in the villa (Helena pictured)
Yasmin described it as ‘classic high school’ behaviour and said she made an effort to be nice to other new bombshells when they arrived in the billa.
She added: ‘We felt like outsiders compared to everyone else, so when bombshells would come in after that, we would befriend them—we didn’t want anyone else to feel that way.’
Shakira feels she, Toni and Yasmin were always honest about their feelings in the villa which sometimes rubbed others the wrong way.
‘If you say it how it is, and you’re honest, you’re called ‘a bitch’, you’re ‘ ‘nasty’. No, I think it’s nasty to speak about someone behind their back, then rally together in groups and target them,’ she said.
Shakira arrived in the villa on Day 5 and bonded quickly with Toni but felt judged by some of the other girls for how quickly she started chatting with the guys.
She told Toni: ‘I’m not joking, getting ready then the vibes felt so off.
‘So it’s not enough to like pick up on and say something about because it’s nothing that is being said, but it’s the energy.’
Toni replied: ‘You know everyone is interested in you.’
Toni, (pictured) who won the show, and Yasmin, who entered the villa as bombshell, both felt animosity from some of the other girls
Yasmin (pictured) described it as ‘classic high school’ behaviour and said she made an effort to be nice to other new bombshells when they arrived in the billa
Shakira said: ‘When you come around the corner and they stop talking, you feel isolated, it feels frosty, really tense, and it’s not nice’ (pictured with Harry Cooksley)
Toni went on to win the show with Cach Mercer. Shakira was runner-up with Harry Cooksley while Yasmin finished in third place with Jamie Rhodes.
The divide came to a head during the Couple Goals challenge – but when the Islanders were asked ‘Which couple are you most scared to give your honest opinion on?’ shockwaves were sent through the Villa.
Shakira and Harry chose Meg and Dejon, which did not go down well.
‘I think if people were honest in the first place and told us to our faces instead of saying it constantly behind our back, it would be a different story,’ Meg raged.
Shakira responded: ‘You throwing around the fake word is rich to be honest. I don’t know why you keep acting like we’re the best of mates in here.
‘From day one, you were very standoffish with any girl that was posed as a threat.’
‘I think you’ve called every single person in this Villa fake,’ Meg bit back, to which Shakira said: ‘No, I will never pretend to be your mate.’
Meg interrupted ‘You won’t be my friend on the outside’ before Shakira said: ‘I will never speak to you on the outside. I honestly can’t stand you sometimes.’
But that wasn’t all because when it comes to Meg and Dejon’s turn to answer, both Meg and Blu become embroiled in a back and forth with Toni before Blu brands Toni a ‘pick-me girl’.
The chaos came just two episodes after Toni brought the girls around the firepit to try and bridge the divide and call a truce.
But recent scenes have shown the divide is as strong as ever.
Love Island viewers left shocked during the Couple Goals challenge as the girls proved the divide was still well and truly in place
Called the biggest divide in the show’s history, the entire series has centred around the ongoing feud between the two groups of girls: Shakira, Toni and Yas versus Meg and Helena
The Islanders continued to take part in the tense Couple Goals challenge – but when the Islanders were asked ‘Which couple are you most scared to give your honest opinion on?’ shockwaves were sent through the Villa
‘I think if people were honest in the first place and told us to our faces instead of saying it constantly behind our back, it would be a different story,’ Meg raged
But that wasn’t all because when it comes to Meg and Dejon’s turn to answer, both Meg and Blu become embroiled in a back and forth with Toni before Blu brands Toni a ‘pick-me girl’
Viewers said: ‘The divide is actually insane… i’m sat here raging at my TV screen,’;
‘I’ve watched love island since Series 1 and this series is hands down the most uncomfortable to watch. This girl divide is f****n awful. The smart ass comments thrown about, the sly digs, the ganging up on 1 girl…it’s actually draining,’;
‘The Great Villa Divide of 2025 is alive and well,’; ‘I’ve never seen THIS strong of a divide in the villa before,’;
‘so funny they had a whole convo about no more divide and now it’s like even worse AHAHAHAH,’;
‘So much for Tonie and Meg wanting to squash the divide between the girls .. It’s gone further apart since their girls intervention the other night’.
While others noted that they had never seen such a ‘toxic’ series, especially with the finale just days away.
They wrote: ‘I’ve never seen such a hostile final week omg these lot are about to start a world war…
‘It’s the final week and there’s STILL drama??? this literally never happens,’ ‘The most toxic love island season ever,’;
‘The most toxic love island season ever – they really hate each other and it will be awkward for them on the outside’.
