Love Island All Stars: Ex-Islanders Drop Bombshell Hint About Tanya's Return
In a surprising twist that has set social media alight, two former Love Island stars have seemingly let slip a major secret about who might be next to enter the iconic villa. Toby Aromolaran and Tyrique Hyde, during a live Twitch stream where they were reacting to the ITV2 show, hinted that Shaq Muhammed's ex-girlfriend, Tanya Manhenga, could be poised for a dramatic return.
"A Little Birdie" Sparks Speculation
Toby, who appeared on the show in 2021, and Tyrique, a 2023 contestant, were deep in discussion about their fellow Islander Shaq when the revelation emerged. The conversation turned to Shaq's recent scenes, which saw his partner AJ Bunker voted out after he re-coupled with her earlier in the week. It was then that Toby suggested Tanya being brought into the villa was "inevitable."
Tyrique responded with a cheeky smile, saying, "A little birdie told me that Tanya's in South Africa and just waiting to go in. But hey, you didn't hear it [from me]." Toby quickly hit back, joking that such loose talk could ruin her chances, warning, "You're going to ruin her chances of going back in, they're going to tell her, 'No, you're not going in anymore'."
ITV has declined to comment on these claims when approached by the Daily Mail, adding to the mystery and fan frenzy.
Revisiting Shaq and Tanya's Turbulent Romance
Shaq and Tanya first captured viewers' hearts in 2021 during the ninth series of Love Island. They coupled up on the very first day and quickly became one of the show's most talked-about pairs. Their relationship was a rollercoaster, marked by being the first couple to exchange "I love you" declarations, despite the challenges of a rocky Casa Amor.
Tanya briefly ditched Shaq for bombshell Martin Akinola, but after realising her lingering feelings, the pair re-coupled. They went on to finish in fourth place and continued their romance after the show, even moving in together. However, their love story came to an end after a year and a half, with reports suggesting a split over Shaq's "behaviour" on a holiday with fellow Islander Dami Hope.
An insider told The Sun at the time, "Tanya was not happy about some of Shaq’s behaviour on holiday. His communication really wasn’t what it should have been. He was seen looking very close to another girl, nothing was going on but it looked bad." Shaq later opened up about the split on Love Island: All Stars, admitting to getting a lap dance in Miami and fighting for the relationship, though it ultimately ended.
Fans Scour for Clues
Since Toby and Tyrique's Twitch stream, dedicated fans have been busy digging for evidence to support the rumour. On Reddit, viewers compiled a thread of clues, including analysing Tanya's Instagram activity. One poster noted, "I was lurking on her IG to see if I would find any hints of her coming in as a bombshell and noticed she recently posted this photo that she’d already shared a couple of months ago. Meaning, someone is probably running her account."
Another viewer added a more speculative take, pointing out, "I’m very aware that this is a stretch but also the caption says beautiful and Shaq said she dumped him for calling another girl beautiful lol." This fan detective work highlights the intense interest in potential villa dynamics.
Current Villa Drama Unfolds
Meanwhile, on the current series, host Maya Jama recently presided over the first brutal dumping, quizzing dumped Islander AJ Bunker and Shaq. AJ was quick to hit back at Shaq for being "less physical" with her, admitting she felt they had taken a "back step." Shaq defended his actions, explaining, "I just want to make sure I see all sides to the person I’m getting to know. I don’t want it to be just a physical attraction, sexual tension, type of thing. I said let’s just slow things down, carry on getting to know each other and see what happens."
As Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, all eyes will be on whether Tanya does indeed make a bombshell entrance, potentially reigniting old flames and stirring up fresh drama in the villa.
