Where Love Island's original cast are now – with some of them in their 50s

Love Island as we know it launched nearly a decade ago in 2015, but there was an earlier version of the dating show that was broadcast in 2005, in which 13 single celebrities spent five weeks together in a villa in Fiji hoping to find love and also win a share of the £100,000 grand prize.

The series – originally called Celebrity Love Island – was presented by Patrick Kielty and Kelly Brook. Described by Charlie Brooker in The Guardian as “depressing,” he further criticised the show for being filled with celebrities who “loll about like dying sea-lions in a failing zoo, accompanied by the sound of gentle lapping as waves of public indifference break upon the shore.”

It was cancelled after two series due to low ratings, but the original Love Island remains something of a classic thanks to the celebrities who took part, including glamour model Abi Titmuss, socialite Lady Isabella Hervey, model Calum Best and TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss.

Nearly two decades on from the first version of Love Island, OK! takes a look at where the original Islanders are now:

Jayne Middlemiss

TV presenter Jayne, 53, won the first series of Love Island with Fran Cosgrave. Known for presenting music shows including Top of the Pops, Jayne also won Celebrity MasterChef in 2009, and regularly works as a radio DJ.

Fran Cosgrave

Nightclub manager Fran appeared on other reality shows following Love Island and works as a music producer. He has a son with ex-Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton.

Calum Best

The son of footballer George Best, Calum enjoyed his time on Love Island so much in 2005 that he returned for the second series in 2006, which he subsequently won.

He didn’t find long lasting love, however, as he has since appeared in Ex on the Beach and Celebs Go Dating. Paul won the fourth series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2022.

Paul Danan

Actor Paul appeared in Hollyoaks before Love Island, and went on to appear in series including The Kevin Bishop Show, Celebrity Big Brother and most recently, Celebrity Coach Trip in 2022.

Michael Greco

Michael was best known as Beppe di Marco in EastEnders when he joined the celebs looking for love in Fiji. He became a dad in 2021 at the age of 51, and had a second child earlier this month. He makes a living as a professional poker player.

Lady Isabella Hervey

Socialite Lady Isabella, the sister of Lady Victoria Hervey, married Belgian millionaire Christophe de Pauw in 2014. The couple have an eight year old son named Victor, and are currently separated. Isabella now lives in Portugal.

Du’aine Ladejo

Olympic sprinter Du’aine, 53, competed as Predator in the 2008 TV version of Gladiators following his stint on Love Island. He has since relocated to New South Wales in Australia where he runs the Ladejo Speed Academy and works as a teacher.

Rebecca Loos

David Beckham's former personal assistant has appeared in The Farm, Temptation Island and The X-Factor: Battle of the Stars and also posed for men’s magazines including Nuts and Zoo Weekly.

She relocated to Norway in 2009 and is married to Norwegian doctor Sven Christjar Skaiaa. They have two children and Rebecca now works as a yoga teacher and massage therapist.

Liz McClarnon

Best known as a member of pop band Atomic Kitten, 43 year old Liz launched a solo career in 2005 and also embarked on a stage career, appearing in shows including Legally Blonde: The Musical. In 2013, Atomic Kitten reformed and are currently on out in the UK and Europe.

Lee Sharpe

Former England footballer Lee, 53, appeared in a series of reality shows after he retired from the game, including Celebrity Wrestling and Dancing on Ice. In 2021, he moved with his family to Javea in Spain where he opened a bar called Sharpeys, and in the same year he began competing in professional golf tournaments. Unfortunately at the end of 2022 Lee was forced to close his bar due to soaring costs.

Judi Shekoni

Judith Shekoni was best known for her role as Precious in EastEnders in 2002. She was the first person to be voted out of the villa but has had much success on screen since – she appeared in the final Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 2 as Zafrina, and also appeared in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, NCIS and The King of Queens. More recently she appeared in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series Foundation.

Abi Titmuss

A trained nurse, Abi, 48, became famous in the UK following the emergence of a private sex tape showing her with former boyfriend John Leslie in 2004. She subsequently worked as a glamour model, appearing in men’s magazines including FHM, Maxim and Loaded. In 2015 she changed her name to Abigail Evelyn when she moved to Hollywood. She is married to Days of Our Lives actor Ari Welkom and they have a son.

Nikki Ziering

American model and actress Nikki was a late entry to the villa, brought in to spice things up on the show. A former Playboy playmate, who was married to Beverly Hills 90210 star Ian Ziering until 2002, the 52 year old lives in California with her daughter and continues to work as a model.