THE aim of the show might be to find love but as many previous Love Island winners can attest once you leave the villa the fires of passion do tend to die out.
Over 14 series, there are only four winners STILL together, so the pressure is on 2025 champions Toni Laites and Cach Mercher to make it work – despite the 24-year-old American already admitting they are facing a “really difficult” problem.
Toni Laites and Cach Mercher won Love Island All Stars 2025[/caption]
But Toni has already admitted the couple are facing a ‘really difficult’ problem[/caption]
Despite Toni revealing that she WOULD move to England to be with Cach – she’s struggling to make it work with her visa[/caption]
I interviewed the Love Island winner alongside her gal pals and runners-up Shakira Kahan and Yas Pettet, and witnessed first-hand how stressed Toni was trying to navigate making her relationship work.
But it’s not their feelings or desire that is causing the issues, but their distance.
Despite Toni, who was born in Connecticut and now lives in Las Vegas, revealing during the ITV2 show that she WOULD move to England to be with Cach, 24, she’s struggling to make it work with her visa.
“That’s the plan to move here,” she tells Fabulous.
“But it’s not that easy to just leave your home country and pick up and live somewhere else. Even in terms of immigration and stuff, when you have to think about all of that.
“It sounds great, but there’s a lot of logistics that go into it. It’s my goal, don’t get me wrong.
“That’s what I’m working on now. But it’s just been so overwhelming that I don’t even know where to start.”
It was clear how much pressure the Fountain Blue Hotel Cabana worker was under on the Fabulous Magazine cover shoot, admitting she didn’t even have anywhere to get clothes sent and was desperately trying to organise a PO Box address to have parcels sent to.
She was constantly on her phone trying to set up a new life in a foreign country.
She admitted: “I was a waitress two and a half months ago. I came into the show with 3000 followers and now I’ve got over 750K.
“The only clothes I have with me are the clothes I brought into the villa. My hotel room has four hangers.
“I’m not even unpacked so I can’t really transition back into normal life right now. I don’t have a sofa in my hotel room. I can’t really just go back to the way I was living.
‘Just human beings’
“I’ve barely left my hotel room. I don’t live here, I’m not familiar with it. It’s a very strange feeling to have an entire city know exactly who you are, and you don’t know any of them.
“People think that they know us because they’ve been watching us for the last two months but they forget we are just human beings.”
Despite the immigration problems for Toni, who is currently back in the States with her family, it’s clear things are currently going well with Cach, who declared his love for her the night before the final.
Love Island winner Cach’s reality TV past
Before his arrival in the villa, Cach appeared on Are You The One? UK, which aired back in 2022 on MTV.
He was 20 years old at the time and competed under his real name, Cacharel.
Cacharel was introduced on the show as a student from Acton, West London, who was studying in Nottingham.
Alongside his studies, he also worked part-time as a children’s instructor, model and dancer, with ambitions of opening dance schools around the world.
In his original cast profile, he described himself as an “old soul” who tends to date older women.
He revealed he’d already had two long-term relationships, but said he had never experienced “that feeling” of finding the one.
He added: “I’m a romantic at heart,” as he joined the search for his perfect match.
Are You The One? UK saw a group of singles enter a house to find their scientifically chosen matches, with a £200,000 prize fund on the line if they correctly paired up by the end of the series.
Cach was one of ten men taking part in the matchmaking experiment.
During the shoot, she was trying to find something in her handbag, and while searching, a strip of photo-booth pictures from the 100 Club in Soho fell out.
I couldn’t help but glance at the pictures, which showed the pair cosying up together and even kissing in one. They are clearly into each other, although they are not yet boyfriend and girlfriend.
She explains: “We are exclusive, but he wants to do something big when he asks me to be his girlfriend. Nothing too extravagant, because it doesn’t matter.”
Hopefully, Toni’s visa worries will get easier as she’s signed up to celeb mega talent agency YMU Management, who look after big-name talent like Ant & Dec, Rylan Clark, Davina McCall and Emma Willis, who are sure to be able to help get her sorted.
But then the next problem, once she can stay in the country, is where she might live while she’s here.
“Cach has his own place and we’ve been spending 24 hours a day together,” she admits.
“I don’t think it would be a bad thing to have my own place, though. I’ll live with this little one,” she says, pointing to Shakira.
Cach has his own place and we’ve been spending 24 hours a day together
However, she admitted her partner, Harry Cooksley, is keen for them to shack up together.
“We’ve been thinking about it,” Shakira adds. “Harry is in competition with you!”
“He’s got nothing on me,” Toni laughs.
Cach declared his love for Toni the night before the final[/caption]
Love Island winners – where they are now
EVERY year Love Island opens its doors to more sexy Islanders who are hoping for a holiday romance that could turn into more.
Here we take you through all of the Love Island winners so far and what their relationship statuses are now:
2025 – The summer series of Love Island saw Toni Laites and Cach Mercer win the ITV2 reality show. STATUS: Still together.
2025 – The second series of All Stars saw Gabby Allen and Case O’Gorman scoop the crown. STATUS: Broken up.
2024 – The summer Love Island saw Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan were crowned the winners. STATUS: Broken up.
2024 – The first ever All stars spin off show was won by Molly Smith and Tom Clare. STATUS: Still together.
2023 – Jess Harding and Sammy Root took home the 50k, and won the summer 2023 Love Island. STATUS: Broken up.
2023 – The first series of 2023 saw Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan crowned Love Island winners in South Africa. STATUS: Still together.
2022 – Davide Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu’s time in the villa was anything but a smooth ride, but they managed to win the public’s hearts – and the ITV2 reality show. STATUS: Broken up.
2021 – Liam Reardon and Millie Court were announced winners of Love Island 2021. STATUS: Still together.
2020 – The first ever winter Love Island saw Paige Turley and Finn Tapp crowned winners after falling in love on the show. STATUS: Broken up.
2019 – Series 5 saw Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague runners up to winners Greg O’Shea and Amber Gill, who met in the last few days of the series. STATUS: Broken up.
2018 – It wasn’t surprising fan favourites Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer won the show, as they were strong throughout. But sadly things didn’t last. STATUS: Broken up.
2017 – Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies had lots of ups and downs in the villa but went on to win. STATUS: Broken up.
2016 – Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde were together from the start of the series, and since they won the show they’ve had two kids and are married. STATUS: Still together.
2015 – Despite poor Jess Hayes being Max Morley’s second choice on the show, they did win – but they didn’t last as a couple. STATUS: Broken up.