Love Island UK season 13 star George Knight has suddenly left the show just days after its premiere, citing his decision to reunite with his family.
The 28-year-old professional footballer wrote on Instagram: “Family always comes first. @loveisland Leaving Villa was a decision I made to be with my family. Out of respect for my family, I don’t want to go into further detail. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages and support! It really means a lot.”
A spokesperson confirmed to Variety: “George has left the Love Island villa for personal reasons.”
The latest season of Love Island UK will begin airing on June 1 and will feature a total of 14 contestants including Knight, Yasmin Hadlow, Aidan Murphy, Angelista Gunda, Ellie Chadwick, Jasmine Muller, Laura Diehl, Lorenzo Alessi, Micah Harris, Ope Sowande, Robin Langton, Sam Workman, Samraj Tua and Sean Fitzgerald. Knight shockingly arrived at the villa on the second day with fellow contestant Hadlow.
The news came as “Love Island USA” also began airing this week. The show made headlines after contestant Vasana Montgomery was kicked off the show before its premiere night after she was accused of using a racial slur. In an Instagram Story, she apologized: “I would like to address videos from my teenage years that recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used racial slurs. There is no excuse and I deeply apologize.”
Episodes of Love Island UK will be available on Hulu and Disney+ three days after they air across the pond.
