Love Island All Stars kicks off tonight - but one ex islander has slammed the show and branded the contestants "too old".
Frankie Foster, 28, tried his luck in the villa in series four alongside All Stars' Kaz Crossley but he feels the ITV2 series is "finished" and has "run its course".
In a scathing interview, Frankie said he thinks the idea of contestants such as Marcel Somerville, 39, and 36-year-old Scott Thomas pulling bikini-clad women for a chat is "comedic".
Frankie has also compared Love Island to BBC rival show The Traitors, claiming it does not have the same "buzz".
Speaking to Betfred, sports presenter Frankie said: "I think the series is finished, in my opinion.
"It still has its loyal followers, but it’s not the type of show people talk about unless they already watch it or know someone who does. Unlike The Traitors, it doesn’t spark the same kind of buzz anymore.”
He added: "It feels like a show aimed at avid fans who’ll keep watching, but I don’t think it can be reinvented in a way that makes it super interesting again.
"Other shows have taken its place, so I think it’s run its course.”
Frankie was 22 when he entered Love Island in 2018.
He lived alongside Kaz Crossley, who is taking part in this year's series of Love Island All Stars.
At the time, Frankie was studying business management and also working as a fitness coach.
He arrived in the villa late but the hunky student quickly coupled up with viewer favourite Samira Mighty.
Frankie, from Cheltenham, was dumped from the island 10 days later following a public vote.
Next week he turns 29 and now runs his own silk tie business.
He says he cannot imagine heading back into the villa in a quest to find love at his age.
"I can’t get my head around the idea of going in as a 29-year-old – it would almost be comedic having those ‘chats’ and conversations with people," he said.
"TV is for everyone and anyone, but I do want to say that some of the cast are too old to be having those nonsense conversations, and certainly too old to be getting immersed in the Love Island ‘little chats’."
Frankie added: "Maybe I’m just getting old, but I definitely don’t think that the show is what it used to be.
"It would create a real buzz and everyone would at least know a couple of people that were in there, or you would have an idea of what was going on. Now I would barely know it’s starting."
Love Island All Stars kicks off on ITV2 tonight and features a stellar line-up of ex Islanders.
In a sneak peek at the new villa, The Sun revealed its living room is filled with beds.
Twelve stars have already been unveiled, but there will be plenty of familiar bombshells joining them throughout the series.
The show's boss Mike Spencer also confessed that there would be both double and single beds in order to house "extra people" throughout the run of the show.
- Love Island All Stars, 9pm, ITV2/ ITVX, January 13, 2025
