The Most Surprising Moments From The Love Island 2026 Final

After eight weeks of drama, romance and plenty of unexpected twists, Love Island 2026 officially came to an end on Monday night, with presenter Maya Jama crowning Julia Majchrzak and Lorenzo Alessi as this year’s winners of the £50,000 prize.

Jasmine Muller and Kavan Murphy finished as runners-up, while Angelista Gunda and Simba Kudyiwa secured third place.

While the finalists celebrated their success, some of the night’s biggest talking points came from the Islanders who had already left the villa. From surprise romance reveals to public apologies and hilarious on-stage moments, the dumped contestants ensured the reunion was just as entertaining as the final itself.

Here are the most surprising moments from the Love Island 2026 final.

Tommy reveals secret kiss with Charleen

One of the biggest shocks of the evening came when Tommy Murphy revealed he had shared a kiss with Casa Amor bombshell Charleen Murphy after leaving the villa.

During Maya Jama’s chat with the former Islanders, Tommy joked that viewers would have seen a different side of him had he made it to Casa Amor before admitting he had been “exploring” connections outside the villa, saying he wants to bring one of the islanders to bring the gossip.

After Maya pressed him for more details, Tommy confirmed that he and Charleen had shared a kiss-off camera and revealed that he is now focusing on getting to know her. The camera quickly cut to Charleen, who appeared visibly embarrassed as she laughed off the unexpected revelation.

@ash.fancyfinds Tommy and Charleen shared a kiss off camera 🌚🌚🌚 #loveislandukseason13 #loveislanduk #loveislandukfinale #fyp #viral ♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin

Ethan and Elicia’s new romance confirmed

Another surprise came when Maya revealed that bombshells Ethan Ellis and Elicia Bailey have been getting to know each other since leaving the villa.

Although the pair never coupled up during the series as they came in as bombshells together, Maya hinted she had heard rumours before asking if there was something going on between them. Elicia initially remained coy, but Ethan confirmed they were now “exploring” a connection.

The romance had been teased during an Instagram Live with Aftersun panellist Joe Baggs before the final, but Monday night’s episode marked the first time the pair publicly confirmed they were getting to know each other.

@clippedinnuk Elicia confirms she’s dating Ethan when his standing next to her 😂😂 #tobyaromolaran #tyriquehyde #loveisland #allstars Kick @Toby Aromolaran ♬ original sound – ClippedIn UK

Fitzy’s pigeon impression steals the show

Sean Fitzgerald and Lola Deal also had viewers laughing during their interview with Maya Jama.

Maya praised Lola for the way she handled the online backlash she received following her ongoing feud with eventual winner Julia Majchrzak. When asked whether the pair had made things official, they teased their relationship, with Lola flashing what looked like a ring while Sean hinted that he wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend properly once they returned to Dublin, saying he wanted to give her a fitting “Irish send-off”.

The conversation then took a hilarious turn when Maya referenced Sean’s viral animal impressions that have been circulating on social media. After asking him to perform one live on air, Sean launched into a pigeon impression, leaving both Maya and the audience stunned.

@h.h.y.h #fyp #lola #fitz #loveisland #explore ♬ sonido original – Música de Todos los Tiempos

Priya apologises to Elicia for the ‘National Rail’ comments

Priya Jaswal addressed one of the series’ biggest controversies by apologising to Elicia Bailey for comments she made about her job during the show.

The row began after Elicia described Priya as a “game player” on Aftersun, prompting Priya to respond by telling her to “go back to the National Rail”, a remark that quickly sparked backlash from viewers, leading Aiden to calling her out for the comment.

During the live final, Maya Jama gave Priya the opportunity to apologise to Elicia face-to-face. Explaining her comments, Priya said: “I do want to apologise about the National Rail comment. It was obviously not meant to be a job-shaming comment.”

She continued by explaining the intention behind the remark, saying: “I was telling you to go back to your day job, basically, and kind of keep my name out of your mouth. That was where I was coming from. It’s nothing to do with where you work.”

As Priya continued to defend her reasoning, Aidan Murphy stepped in with a light-hearted, “Okay, Priya, okay darling!” to move the conversation along.

Elicia accepted the apology graciously, telling Priya: “I feel like a few years back, I’d have probably reacted the same way.” She added: “I’m proud of my job and I worked my a**e off. There’s no hard feelings, we’ve swept everything under the rug.”

Priya ended the exchange on a positive note, replying: That’s what I’m saying, I wasn’t shaming you. I think you should be proud of where you work.”

@loveisland Priya’s apology to Elicia brings them back on track 🫶 #LoveIsland ♬ original sound – Love Island

With another Love Island season officially over, we’ll certainly miss this unforgettable bunch of Islanders. From shocking twists and surprise romances to emotional moments and viral one-liners, Series 13 gave us a summer to remember.

Words by Robyn Jane Lawlor