Ex-Love Islander Elma Pazar questions whether new hopefuls are really ‘looking for love’

Former Love Island star Elma Pazar has given her verdict on this year’s hopefuls, suggesting that they might not be on the show for romance.

While Islanders officially take part in the hope of finding love, it’s no secret that the ITV2 programme can be a fast track ticket to lucrative brand deals and club appearances.

Speaking on Standard Online’s weekly series Off The Island, Elma admitted she thinks this year’s batch of Islanders may be thinking more about their bank accounts than their love lives.

“I feel like this time around, everyone kind of knows what they’re doing,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s because it’s been on for a few series now…

“I don’t think I’d want to go on now and think ‘I’m going to find love’. I think people are so aware of what the outcome of the show is. Are people even going in there for love?”

Elma also praised Ollie Williams’ decision to leave the villa after he realising he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend.

Revealing she thought he had been “very honest to himself,” Elma said: “I think that was just quite a mature thing to do.

“Being able to stand up and be like, ‘You know what, actually, this experience is going to be right for me and there's no point in me forcing it’. I think that's a big decision.

“I mean, it's a big decision. Even going into villa when there's a chance that you might feel like that anyway, so yeah,I take my hat off to him.”

Friday’s Love Island will see a contestant given the boot in the first dumping of the current series.

Watch the full episode of Off The Island on the Evening Standard's YouTube channel.