Why We Never See Love Island Contestants Eat Lunch Or Dinner In The Villa

"Love Island" is one of the most popular television shows to come out of the U.K. Contestants pair off into couples, compete in challenges, and then face a vote to decide if they will stay on to contend for the final cash prize. The producers stir things up by throwing "bombshells" onto "Love Island" – contestants added later in the show to stir up conflict and create drama. Fans can get so into the story of the show that they end up obsessing over the minutiae of the contestants' day-to-day lives, and they've brought up some interesting questions.

In a thread on Reddit, user u/ApplePiFace asked why the contestants are rarely seen eating. "We often see the islanders making breakfast and eating snacks throughout the day, but unless it's specifically for the dinner date challenge (or any of the weird regurgitation challenges) we never see them eating any other meals. It's a very odd question, but I was wondering if anyone knew how it works?" Indeed, this question has been brought up by a lot of fans of the show, and the answer is one that may surprise you.

You might be surprised to learn how strict the rules are on "Love Island." For example, contestants are allowed only one drink on most nights, and occasionally two. Contestants are also forced to surrender their phones when they enter the villa and are given new phones that don't connect to the outside world. The way eating is regulated is pretty bizarre as well.

Bombshell contestants ​​Jack Keating and Samuel Agbiji explained the bizarre eating rules in an interview with Closer Online. "You actually get catering for lunch and the lads and the girls sit separately at the time so there's no villa chat," Keating explained. "It was really hard." Agbaji added, "It was mad because when you're eating you want to talk about what's going on but you can't because it effects [sic] the filming."

In her own interview with Closer, 2018 contestant Alexandra Cane explained that meals generally aren't shown because the contestants' eating has to be closely watched. "We do have to be monitored on what we eat," she said. "This is to make sure everyone in the house is eating sufficient amounts of food and no one is going to get ill." So no unhealthy diets to make yourself look better on camera in that bikini. Some of these rules may seem strict, but making sure everyone's eating enough seems like a wise precaution.