This article contains spoilers for Love Island UK 2022.
Love Island UK season eight has officially come to an end and yes, I am unjustifiably devastated - what am I supposed to do with my evenings now? See friends? Go to the gym? Work on myself?
The hit show, which has a significant following here in Aotearoa, culminated during the dramatic live finale on Monday night (local time), which is now available to watch on Neon for us New Zealanders.
An international phenomenon, Love Island has gripped viewers across the globe for the best part of two months, with self-proclaimed 'Turkish Delight' Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and 'Italian Stallion' Davide Sanclimenti being crowned this year's winners and taking home the £50,000 prize. Despite many a claim on Twitter that the couple's romance is "faker than a Louis Vuitton from China" (if you know, you know), the duo's banter and hilarious blow-ups ("you are a liar, actress") endeared them to the public, securing them the title by a landslide.
And while the show has come to an end for another year, the careers of this season's most popular participants are only just beginning, with Cülcüloğlu and runner-up Gemma Owen - daughter of English footballer Michael Owen - rumoured to be set for £1 million paydays as brand's rush to work with the newly minted reality TV royalty.
However, it's no secret the yearly cohort of Islanders enter the sun-soaked Spanish villa not just for 'finding love', but a shot at finding fame. To prepare for their 15 minutes, contestants have been known to undergo multiple 'tweakments' in the lead-up to the show, with some having their 'glow-ups' documented on social media. I for one am guilty of Googling contestants' "before and after" photos - and some of the transformations are pretty significant.
As a disclaimer, this is, of course, a judgement-free zone; if I was preparing to be filmed 24/7 and seen by millions of people across the world in a bathing suit and minimal makeup, you bet I would also be lasering, zapping and buffing my bod into the best version of itself.
With all that being said, here is a look at some of the 2022 Islanders' transformations.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu
Turkish-English actress and newly crowned Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu underwent a series of cosmetic procedures ahead of entering the villa, including fillers and veneers.
The 27-year-old has been candid about her pre-show procedures; despite mainly undergoing 'tweakments' - non-surgical or cosmetic work - Cülcüloğlu has also been open about her breast augmentation, which she had done by a plastic surgeon in Istanbul. She revealed she had her veneers - thin, porcelain shells or caps that are placed on the front of the teeth to improve the appearance and strength - done at a dental clinic in Antalya, Turkey.
Before entering the villa, Cülcüloğlu also went to an aesthetic clinic in Wilmslow, England and had filler placed in her cheeks, jaw and tear troughs. Cosmetic doctor Dr Rosh carried out the treatments, and recently took to social media to share before-and-after snaps of the contestant.
"Ekin-Su came to see me in preparation of entering the villa. We decided to add subtle changes but still [keep] everything looking very natural," he said on Instagram.
"First, we added tear trough filler to fill the hollows and give her that gorgeous 'eight-hour beauty sleep' refreshed look. Then, I feathered some filler into the lateral cheeks to soften her middle cheek fullness, and jaw filler to lift and create more definition."
Tasha Ghouri
Tasha Ghouri, who placed fourth with her beau Andrew Le Page, has previously opened up about a cosmetic tweak she underwent before taking part in the show.
According to reports, during a Q&A with her followers on Instagram the model and dancer, 23, revealed she had a small amount of lip filler - 0.5ml - but otherwise opted to keep things au naturel.
"I only have had 0.5ml lip filler. Apart from that, nothing else," Ghouri said on her Instagram Story ahead of entering the villa. "We all have insecurities, I have had many thoughts that if I get certain cosmetics would I book more jobs etc? But I'm happy with the way I look & I don't judge people who do get cosmetics because it's purely their choice and their happiness."
Andrew Le Page
Fourth place finalist Andrew Le Page, who entered the villa as part of the original lineup and was paired with now-girlfriend Tasha Ghouri by the public, also went under the knife before appearing on the show.
Speaking to The Sun, Le Page confirmed he had cosmetic surgery on his chest, meaning he was unable to train in the gym for six weeks.
The estate agent, 27, who splits his time between Dubai and Guernsey, opened up about the cosmetic procedure, saying it was something he'd "always wanted to do".
He told The Sun: "It was a day procedure to take out glands that were in my chest. I thought it was something I may as well do before I come on the show. It was a cosmetic procedure, it wasn't something I needed to do - I just wanted to do it."
Coco Lodge
According to Instagram, Coco Lodge - another Casa Amor bombshell who inspired the infamous quote "I licked her t*t or whatever" - had some 'tweakments' at Essex-based aesthetic clinic By Briony Aesthetics prior to her stint on the show.
On their social media, the aesthetician confirmed Lodge had previous lip filler dissolved and re-filled for a more natural-looking pout.
"The lips were massively migrated so I completely dissolved them and transformed them into defined, naturally full lips," the practitioner said.
In another post, they confirmed Lodge had 1ml of lip filler and Botox administered to the forehead in the weeks before appearing on the show. It also appears that earlier this year the Casa Amor entrant had filler in her tear troughs.
Cheyanne Kerr
Fellow Casa Amor bombshell Cheyanne Kerr, who turned heads during her time in the villa, has also undergone some subtle enhancements.
As per a report by OK, the 23-year-old was tagged in a video showing the results of a 3ml "face balancing" filler package at Leeds-based aesthetic clinic Amica Aesthetics, which specialises in lip filler and skin treatments. The clip suggests Kerr had touch-ups in her lips and cheeks, while a post from earlier this year suggests Kerr may also get dermal filler in her jawline.
"3ml package. Small amounts of filler can make a huge difference when placed correctly to give a natural but noticeable difference," the caption said.
It appears Kerr is a regular client at the clinic, with the practitioner sharing her support for the 23-year-old throughout her stint on the show.
