Love Island 2025 contestants with secret connections to former villa stars

19 June 2025, 15:08

Love Island 2025 stars have connections with former villa residents. Picture: ITV2

By Zoe Adams

Who knew who before entering the Love Island villa this year? From hidden friendships to secret romantic connections, here's how some of the cast of 2025 know previous LI faces.

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Love Island 2025 has begun and the likes of Shakira Khan, Megan Moore, Dejon Noel-Williams and Harry Cooksley are well on their way to forming connections, love triangles and any other romantic drama they can find.

However, for some of this year's contestants, this isn't their first brush with Love Island fame as they have secret connections or bonds with previous villa stars from over the years.

From unknown friendships to sliding into DMs and even a touch of romance, this year's line up haven't been afraid to reach out to the All Stars of the show.

Read more: Love Island's Malisha reveals which coupled-up boy she has her eye on after shock dumping

So who knows who? Here's all the secret Love Island connections worth knowing about.

Shea Mannings

Shea Mannings entered the 2025 villa as a bombshell on week one but while he's busy scouting out this year's cast, it seems he already had a connection with some past Love Island ladies.

A semi-professional football player from Bristol, he appears to have formed some sort of relationship with 2024 star Uma Jammeh as well as 2023's Ella Barnes.

Between the years of 2021 and 2023, they were all regulars on one another's Instagram accounts but in recent times there has been zero contact and they've all even unfollowed one another. Never have we ever needed more details more!

Sophie Lee

Sadly Sophie saw herself dumped from the villa just 24 hours after arriving but fans are confident we'll be seeing her again on the show.

But if her summer of love is really over, she will have close pal and former Love Island girl Sharon Gaffka to lean on for support.

Sharon was on season seven of Love Island and has gone on to become an activist and positive influencer and regularly comments and likes Sophie's social media activity.

Sophie also regularly has twins Eve and Jess Gale sending Instagram comments and likes her way too.

Most notably though, Sophie dated series 10's Ouzy See, who was reportedly 'blindsided' by her villa entrance.

Conor Phillips

A rugby player too, it's no surprise Conor from this year's villa knows former Love Island winner Greg O'Shea who won with Amber Gill.

Talking to OK!, he said: "I do know Greg [O'Shea], yes. I spoke to Greg and he just said, 'Be yourself. It's a really, really, really cool experience that not many people get to enjoy. Take it day by day, and be yourself.'"

Greg and Amber sadly split just weeks after winning the show but he has gone on to be successful in love and is now engaged.

Harrison has a connection to Amber Wise. Picture: ITV

Harrison Solomon

Harrison is reportedly friends with series 10 bombshell Amber Wise. Not too much is known about their friendship but they do follow each other on Instagram.

The Miami football star also has a link to series 11's Joey Essex as his ex-girlfriend Lorena Medina follows him on Instagram. Small world!