Do Love Island Contestants Get Paid? Here’s Exactly How Much 

Call Love Island a Triple Crown winner because it’s currently topping the streaming, app, & social charts. The steamy reality TV show has reportedly racked up 1 billion total minutes viewed (through just 9 episodes) plus a scorching 623 million views on TikTok. All this buzz has many people wondering: Do Love Island contestants get paid? 

Short answer: Yes. It’s estimated that Love Island contestants get paid roughly $500 per week as a minimum wage. But the real money is usually made once they leave the island…

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Do Love Island contestants get paid?

Yes, islanders get paid roughly $500/week or $2,000/month as a minimum wage for their time on the island. One lucky contestant also takes home $100k in prize money at the end of the show ($50k if they choose to split it with their partner).

This weekly earnings estimate comes from Hello Magazine, which reported that islanders on Love Island UK 2024 earned £375 per week. This converts to $500/week for US islanders, assuming a similar pay rate.

Honestly, g​etting paid $500/week to lounge in a Fiji villa isn’t too shabby! Want to earn that kind of cash without the sunscreen and drama? Here are 11 quick ways to make $500/week.

For most islanders, the real money is made after the filming is done. 

How much do love island contestants get paid? 

Most islanders enter the show as regular 9-to-5ers, presumably earning respectable wages in varying occupations. But the show’s massive popularity has turned its contestants into mini-celebrities, helping them build huge social media followings that they can turn into real income.

Reports show that some contestants earn as much as $20 to $30k per month in brand deals following the show, or roughly $240,000 to $360,000 per year. This estimate is likely on the lower end, especially for the show’s more popular contestants.

Each contestant’s earning potential also varies greatly depending on their ability to build a personal brand, market themselves, and land deals.

One prime example of a Love Island glow-up is Season 6’s runner-up, Leah Kateb.

Leah reportedly entered the show with fewer than 20,000 Instagram followers. Now? She’s got a total social audience of 6.8 million, which generates between $1.6m and $2.4m per year. This is likely just a drop in the bucket, too, and doesn’t include other endorsements and appearances.

Other former contestants on Love Island UK, like Molly Mae Hague, Olivia Attwood, and Indiyah Polak, have turned their fame into successful makeup brands, fashion deals, and TV appearances.

This got us thinking: Who’s got the most earning potential of Season 7?

Season 7 cast earnings

Most of Season 7’s cast already have social media followings in the hundreds of thousands. While this doesn’t always translate to income, it’s a good indicator that most of the cast will likely make much more than $500/week once the show ends.

Here’s who’s got the most earning potential of Season 7:

1. Ace Greene (1.1m followers)

Ace was already a viral TikTok sensation before he went on Love Island, with his dancing tutorials helping him get featured on Good Morning America and the Jennifer Hudson Show. Of all the cast members, he’s probably the least worried about winning the $100k prize money.

2. Huda Mustafa (693k followers)

Huda also entered Love Island with a major social media following, boasting over 100k followers on Instagram before she got to the villa. Her following has since grown to 697k, which will likely drive plenty of business to her personal training company, Huda Mustafa Training.

3. Cierra Ortega (661k followers)

Cierra has also built up a sizable social media following thanks to Love Island. She currently holds creator marketing positions with Passes and FlyMeOut and is keeping all income opportunities open, with her links page featuring everything from her Cash App to her LinkedIn profile.

4. Chelley Bissainthe (480k followers)

In addition to being an islander, Chelley’s bio states that she’s an aspiring model, entrepreneur, and day trader. Based on her newfound semi-celeb status, it’s probably safe to take that “aspiring” out of “aspiring model”.

5. Olandria Carthen (424k followers)

Prior to going on Love Island, Olandria Carthen worked as a sales associate at Otis Elevator Company, selling elevator and escalator services. Now that she’s got nearly half a million followers, it’s safe to say she probably won’t return to this role after the island.

Other runner-ups include:

1. Bell-A Walker (369k followers)
2. Amaya Espinal (340k followers)
3. Jeremiah Brown (292k followers)
4. Nicolas Vansteenberghe (249k followers)
5. Jalen Brown (237k followers)
6. Zak Srakaew (228k followers)
7. Hanna Fields (228k followers)
8. Andreina Santos (208k followers) 
9. Vanna Einerson (202k followers) 
10. Taylor Williams (148k followers)

But what about Love Island’s host, Ariana Madix?

How much does Ariana Madix make?

Ariana Madix’s contract isn’t publicly available. However, she reportedly made $25,000 per episode during her time on Vanderpump Rules, and it’s safe to assume that she didn’t take a pay cut for Love Island. 

This puts Ariana Madix’s estimated earnings $500,000 to host all 20 episodes of Love Island Season 7. But this is just an estimate based on her previous work.

How to ramp up your earnings

Let’s face it, getting the opportunity to go on a popular TV show is incredibly rare. It also requires you to go into the public spotlight and potentially face scrutiny and backlash, something that most people find unappealing. 

Luckily, there are tons of ways you can earn extra cash without going on Love Island:

1. 29 Tips to Make $5,000 Fast
2. 15 Ways to Get Cash Today
3. How to Start an Airbnb Business: 10 Steps
4. Find Shift Work Fast and Get Paid Next Day
5. 7 Best Credit Cards to Earn Cash Back

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