Scandals plague Love Island AGAIN: Insiders lift lid on diva antics of wannabe stars... and expose truth of THAT vile video

Drama rocked the Love Island villa before season eight even premiered last week.

Vasana Montgomery, 25, had boasted she was the 'full package' in a teaser for the reality series – but her time on the show was over before it even aired. Ahead of Tuesday's premiere last week, she was dismissed following the emergence of video footage the showed her using the n-word.

Her abrupt exit not only sent shockwaves through the devout fanbase but also prompted questions about the series' vetting process - as Montgomery is only the latest contestant who has become embroiled in controversy only after being cast.

One insider told the Daily Mail that the evolution of social media – particularly the popularity of TikTok – changed the perception of reality stars and what viewers expect of them.

'Pre-2020, reality stars were known to be problematic. People used to say and do problematic things, in scripted and unscripted programming. Now, we live in a more progressive time,' the source said.

'The vetting process has changed because algorithms have replaced monoculture. The Love Island fan base is beyond obsessed with the show. People like to dig things up now and the vetting process likely hasn't caught up with mainstream audiences.

'Progress has been made, but it's going to take a little while still to fully catch up.'

The American version of the wildly popular UK dating series has become must-watch TV since its debut in 2019, with moments of heartbreak, betrayal and levity taking the internet by storm.

But the nature of Love Island has undoubtedly changed since its earlier seasons, according to another insider, with 'entitled' contestants said to be more focused on getting a fast pass to fame than finding true love.

Indeed, it seems wannabe reality stars are hell-bent on emulating the success of past fan-favorite contestants such as Maura Higgins, Rob Rausch, Olandria Carthen and Leah Kateb.

'Every single person that goes on that show wants everything for free', a second insider told the Daily Mail.

'The contestants are all so entitled and slide into DMs of business owners wanting things. They think they are celebrities from the get-go.'

The show has also been slammed for not being inclusive enough, namely for a lack of plus-size contestants and for focusing primarily on heterosexual couples.

'There's still a lot of archaic tendencies with how they cast', the insider continued.

'On Love Island, they don't look at plus size or "regular looking." These are people already building a following and known in a way. This show is just a different beast being live to tape.

'The applicant pool is beyond massive compared to other types of reality shows. It seems like networks are trying to be more safe than sorry now overall.'

With the casting and vetting process now under renewed public scrutiny, a production source told the Daily Mail that the videos of Montgomery 'appear to be privately owned and not shared publicly until after the Season 8 cast announcement. If they were private videos, they would never have been accessible for prior vetting.'

However, the source added that the way 'the show is filmed allows them to address and adapt to situations like that.'

Montgomery's axe came one year after season seven contestants Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega left the villa after their use of racial slurs was revealed.

Escobar, 28, was dismissed after just two days when videos of her using racial slurs, including the n-word on two separate podcast appearances, resurfaced. Weeks later, Ortega, 26, left the show after fans discovered her past use of a racial slur targeting Chinese people.

At the time, and following mass outcry, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Ortega 'left the villa due to a personal situation.'

Ortega later wrote that she had 'no ill intention,' adding, 'I do not, and have never, condoned racism or the repression of any cultural group in any form.'

'I would never intentionally use any word, especially a slur, to tear down anyone's culture or community. When I used that word, I didn't fully understand what it meant or how much pain it carries,' she wrote.

'I learned how deeply wrong it was when I was called out for it in 2024, and as you can see in the screenshot I shared in my video, I was genuinely ashamed and wanted to do whatever I could in that moment to make sure I never made that careless mistake again.'

But these are hardly the first scandals to rattle the picturesque Fiji villa.

Season two contestant Noah Purvis was removed after just two days after producers found out he had previously appeared in adult films.

A statement from CBS and ITV America at the time said Purvis provided 'false information on his application which violates his contestant agreement.' Purvis, however, provided further explanation for his sudden removal from the hit show.

'They decided to pull me because they found out that I had been in pornography in the past,' he said at the time.

'I was shocked. I was like, 'What do you mean? I have only been here for three days. I have done everything I was supposed to… I am being myself. What am I doing wrong?'

The UK version of Love Island has also been rocked by three suicides, one being the 2020 death of presenter Caroline Flack, 40.

Flack died shortly after she was charged with assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton - having stepped down from her role hosting the show in the wake of her arrest.

Her death followed the suicide of 2017 contestant Mike Thalassitis who was found dead in a park near his north London home in March 2019 at the age of 26. Meanwhile, contestant Sophie Gradon, who appeared on the show in 2016, died aged 32 in 2018 after struggling with depression.

For Montgomery's part, she issued an apology for her past remarks, saying she 'feels embarrassed and disappointed by [her] words.'

'I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people,' she wrote on Instagram.

'Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have. That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it.

'I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Peacock for comment.