EXCLUSIVE: Love Island’s Shea Mannings has spoken exclusively about his time in the villa, revealing he was ‘picked on’ by his co-stars and that he was edited as ‘quiet’ on the show
He may have only lasted two weeks in the villa, but Love Island 2025 star Shea Mannings certainly made an impact – even if the cameras didn’t quite capture it.
The 25-year-old scaffolder from Bristol, who entered as a bombshell on Day 3, was dumped on Day 16 in a dramatic recoupling twist. Despite not finding a romantic connection in the villa, Shea insists he’s proud of his journey – and says what viewers saw barely scratched the surface.
“Yeah, at first I was obviously gutted,” he tells us exclusively just days after returning home. “I felt like I had more to give in there. It was nice seeing my family and friends, but yeah, it was a weird feeling.”
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“I didn’t want to leave, to be honest. But I’m grateful I had two weeks in there. Could’ve been two days if I went home, so yeah, really cool to have had the chance.”
Asked if he saw his exit coming, Shea admits, “Yeah, I did, to be honest. I’d been there two weeks, single for most of the time. The last three days before I got dumped, I was kind of just waiting – either a bombshell was coming in or I was going. There wasn’t really anyone left for me.”
When he first entered the villa, Shea had his eye on Megan Moore, but her relationship with Tommy soon took centre stage. “I think everyone could see how strong her and Tommy were. Even at the time, they looked like a married couple. It felt like I was fighting a losing battle. You look across the bedroom at night and they’re cuddling, and I’m there on my own. So yeah, that made it tough.”
Though Megan has now left the show, Shea says there are no plans to rekindle anything on the outside. “We’ve spoken, just friendly stuff like checking in on each other after coming out. I think it’s important for Islanders to support each other – we’re all in the same boat.”
His only real regret in the villa? Coupling up with Yasmin. “Yeah, I’d say that’s my only regret in there,” he says. “Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but if I’d coupled up with Malia, maybe I’d still be in there now. I think Yasmin kind of used me to get in the villa, then started doing what she wanted.”
Shea didn’t shy away from the drama while he was in there, and witnessed several tense moments between the girls. “Yeah, 100%,” he says. “All the boys said it too. The boys were more chill, except maybe Harry and Dejon had their little thing. But with the girls, yeah, it was definitely divided.”
He even stepped in when tensions boiled over between Malisha and Megan. “Yeah, definitely more than what you saw,” Shea says of the row. “I actually stepped in at one point after Meg made Melisha cry. I went over and gave Meg my opinion. That didn’t get shown, but I thought it was kind of bullyish behaviour.”
Still, there were lighter moments — like the infamous beer pong challenge, which left him reeling. “I actually cried a bit to the producers after,” he reveals. “It was a lot—Megan and Yasmin made me feel like a mug. What viewers didn’t see was others laughing and chipping in. But the producers were amazing—so supportive.”
Despite the challenges, Shea’s proud of how he handled himself. “I am proud of how I was in there,” he says. “My mum, family, and friends are all proud too.”
He also opened up about being a dad to a four-year-old son, something he didn’t shy away from in the villa. “I’ve been doing this for four years and I’m proud. If it’s not for someone, then it’s not for them.”
Looking ahead, Shea has big plans. “I’d love to get signed to an agency. I’ve done some modelling in the past, so maybe go back into that. Also interested in content creation. But first – I’ll enjoy a few more nights out and then get down to it.”
As for who’s playing a game? “Yasmin for sure,” he says. “She literally told me, ‘I’m here for the drama’ and ‘I’m made for reality TV.’ I should’ve clocked it sooner. Also, Harrison—he’s my boy, but I don’t think he liked Toni as much as he made out.”
And his message to those calling him boring online? “I don’t care—if you know me, you know that’s not true. And the way everyone cried when I left tells you a lot. I just didn’t get much air time. I was way more involved than what was shown.”
One thing’s clear: Shea Mannings is just getting started.
Love Island 2025 airs every night at 9PM on ITV2 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .