How Do 'Love Island' Winners Use Their Prize Money? We Investigate

The Perks of Winning Love Island Beyond the Romance

Winning Love Island is more than just a chance to find love; it also comes with significant financial rewards. The popular dating show first launched in the U.K. in 2015, where contestants moved into a luxury villa in Spain and competed for the chance to meet their future partner. The final couple standing would walk away with a £50,000 prize. In contrast, the U.S. version offers a $100,000 reward to the winning pair. This has led to speculation about whether participants are genuinely seeking love or simply after the money.

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, who won Love Island UK season 8 with then-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti, shared her insights on the show. She told Us Weekly in June 2024 that she could often tell who was there for the right reasons. “The audience is also so clever,” she said. “You can tell who's faking it. You can tell who's actually in love. You can tell who's insecure.”

She added that the show isn’t just a vacation. “We are not on holiday, guys! You're working. It's a TV show. We know it's a TV show. It's what we signed up for.”

How Winners Spent Their Winnings

After Ekin-Su and Davide split their prize, they planned to use the money for a joint vacation for their mothers. However, they eventually broke up in January 2024. Here’s how other Love Island alumni spent their winnings:

• Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli (USA Season 1): Elizabeth mentioned they might take a trip to Europe and possibly move to L.A. However, they later broke up.
• Caleb Corprew (USA Season 2): Caleb planned to save his share, joking he might buy his mom a nice pair of shoes.
• Timmy Pandolfi (USA Season 4): Timmy and Zeta Morrison saved most of their prize but splurged on a trip to England.
• Marco Donatelli and Hannah Wright (USA Season 5): They donated part of their earnings to help children in their communities.
• Kordell Beckham and Serena Page (USA Season 6): Kordell planned to invest in his business, while Serena wanted to support her friend JaNa Craig.
• Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales (USA Season 7): Amaya intended to donate to a charity, while Bryan focused on mental health causes.
• Cara de la Hoyde and Nathan Massey (UK Season 2): Cara planned to buy her mother a house, while Nathan wanted to treat his dad to a golfing trip.
• Amber Davies (UK Season 3): Amber treated herself to a Chanel bag after winning with Kem Cetinay.
• Dani Dyer (UK Season 4): Dani bought a Cartier bangle and joked about not knowing what to do with the money.
• Greg O'Shea (UK Season 5): Greg saved his share in an English bank account, waiting for a better exchange rate.
• Finley Tapp and Paige Turley (UK Season 6): They used the money for an Xbox and a camera, but eventually broke up.
• Liam Reardon (UK Season 7): Liam spent his share on food deliveries and did not start a property business.
• Davide Sanclimenti (UK Season 8): He planned to take his mother on a trip to New York.
• Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan (UK Season 9): The couple, who married in 2025, wanted to give back to children through their work.
• Jess Harding and Sammy Root (UK Season 10): They planned to travel to Far East Asia and continue growing Jess’s business.
• Molly Smith (UK All-Stars): Molly put her winnings aside and focused on her career.
• Mimii Tafara (UK Season 11): Mimii aimed to be sensible with her money, planning to buy a new car and move out.
• Toni Laites (UK Season 12): Toni planned to pay off student loans and even considered getting a mug for the runner-up.

The Impact of Winning

Winners of Love Island often have varied plans for their prize money. Some choose to save, invest, or give back, while others opt for more immediate pleasures. Regardless of their choices, the experience of being on the show leaves a lasting impact, both financially and personally.

Love Island UK is available to stream on Hulu, while the U.S. version can be found on Peacock.