IAIN STIRLING: ‘LOVE ISLAND IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD’
The funnyman and voice of the villa says this year’s series is one of his faves…
How has this series compared to last year? I’ve really enjoyed it. I feel like we’ve got loads of personalities this year and there’s so much variety. From Curtis to Ovie – the sort of people you’ve not seen in the villa before. New vibes. Of all the five series, which has been your favourite? This year is up there, genuinely, because the characters have been amazing. I’ll always have a soft spot for series one because, obviously, that’s where it all started. And it was sort of on the down low, it was like a little secret that we got to keep. What’s the one Love Island-related thing your friends always message you about? Normally, it’s immediately after a dumping. If it’s a cliff hanger, they’ll be like, “Tell me who goes!” That’s the most common thing. And do you ever tell them? Absolutely not! Mainly because I don’t watch the show until the day of the show like everyone else, but also because… Well, I love my friends, but I ain’t risking the best job in the world for them. Have any of them ever asked for an Islander’s number? Never – they are wiser than that. In fact, that must be a lie! I’m sure, at some point in five years, one of my friends has asked for somebody’s number. I can’t remember whose, but they must have done. But my friends and I are too old for them all now. Molly-mae probably wasn’t even born when I started working on television. I’ve got pairs of socks older than she is. If you could matchmake Caroline Flack with one of the Islanders, who would you pick? Oh, I do not get involved in Caroline’s love life. Mainly because she’s a good friend and she can choose herself. And, secondly, because it’ll become clickbait on some website, which I don’t want. Which Islander surprised you the most this year? Definitely Ovie. When he first came in, I thought he was going to be too cool for school, but he’s been fantastic. He’s funny and a bit weird, and not what I was expecting from a self-confessed alpha. They’re all as weird as us… That’s the thing about Love Island, isn’t it? You see these beautiful people walk in the villa and you realise that they get big red faces when they cry, and they’re a bit awkward, and they can’t open doors sometimes because they’re nervous about a date, and they eat toasties late at night. We’re all fundamentally the same, just some of us choose to spend more time in the gym. n
‘I do not get involved in Caroline’s love life’
Iain takes his new stand-up show Failing Upwards on tour in 2020. For info and tickets, go to Iaindoesjokes.com