Why did Samira Mighty really leave Love Island?

West End performer claims she is following her heart - but was behind-the-scenes fallout actually to blame?

The 2018 Love Island contestants
(Image credit: ITV2)

Samira Mighty, one of the original Love Island contestants has sensationally decided to quit the show after her love interest was voted out of the villa.

The performer, who has starred in West End productions of Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast, had struggled to find “the one” in her five weeks on the show.

She finally hit it off with newcomer Frankie Foster, but the budding romance was cut short when he was booted off in the viewer vote on Monday.

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In tonight’s episode, viewers will see Mighty break the news that she has decided to follow her heart and leave the island to fellow contestants Ellie Jones, Dani Dyer and Megan Barton-Hanson.

“I’ve not had any connection in here with anyone and I had a little taste of that with Frankie and it’s gone abruptly and I think I’d always be thinking ‘what if?’,” she will say, Cosmopolitan reports.

“I’m not saying I’m in love with Frankie or we’re going to get married tomorrow,” she added. “But I don’t want to waste any time, I just want to see him and I know this is the right thing to do.”

The other contestants “were reportedly upset by the decision”, says The Independent, but assured her of their support.

The Daily Mirror, however, suggests that motives other than the pursuit of true love may have influenced Mighty’s decision to bid adios to the villa.

The newspaper claims that, after repeated clashes with fellow contestant Georgia Steel, including “side glances during the last recoupling”, Mighty “has run out of patience with ‘catty’ Georgia”.

Citing an unnamed show insider, the Mirror says that the pair engaged in “constant arguments and snide remarks” in front of the camera, but that producers opted to drop most of the run-ins from the final cut.

"Samira isn't the only girl annoyed at Georgia, but she's had enough,” the insider said.

Meanwhile, Mighty’s paramour has denied encouraging her to quit the island. After Instagram users bombarded his account with questions about her shock departure, Foster posted an update saying he “told her to stick it out” because “it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and only a few weeks left”.

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