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The Love Island villa was rocked once again on Wednesday (12 July) by another shock dumping.
The islanders were not even gathered around the fire pit – as is the norm for eliminations – when Ella received a text saying that the public had been voting for the least compatible couple.
Whitney then received a second text revealing that Elom and Catherine had received the lowest number of votes and had been dumped from the island with immediate effect.
It’s the second time the contestants have been gobsmacked by a surprise dumping this season. On 23 June’s episode, Molly was also unceremoniously dumped from the island with no warning after returning bombshell Kady chose to couple up with Zach – who was coupled up with Molly at the time.
Molly later returned during the Casa Amor segment of the show and recoupled with Zach.
Catherine appeared to lose favour with viewers when she returned from Casa Amor with new boy Elom. Scott, who she had been coupled up with, chose to remain loyal to her and was left vulnerable when she returned with Elom.
“I really liked her until the Scott thing, she would’ve been safe otherwise,” one person tweeted.
“I hope Catherine has someone on the outside to explain why Twitter took Scott’s side so heavy, she was definitely in the wrong but people went too hard on her some times,” another said.
Other viewers raved about just how “brutal” this season of the dating show was.
“THE PRODUCERS ARE BRUTAL THIS SEASON,” one fan exclaimed.
“They’ve been super brutal with these dumpings this season not even a bottom 3 situation just you’ve got the fewest votes get out,” another pointed out.
“I see the original messy [Love Island] producer from the start of this season has come off their break – bcoz safe to say i am GAGGEDDDDDDD,” wrote a third.
During a recent taping of Love Island’s sister show Aftersun, host Maya Jama was forced to ask the audience to “be kind” to Catherine after the live studio audience booed her.
“Catherine, who coupled up with Elom, did we expect–” she began, only to be interrupted by booing members of the live audience.
“Oh no,” Jama said, with guest Jordan Stephens saying: “You can’t boo her.”
“Hey hey hey, I’m anti-booing anyone, alright?” Jama said. “We don’t see everything, OK? Let’s be nice.”
In her exit interview after Wednesday’s episode, Catherine said she was “massively” shocked to be dumped from the island.
“When I heard our names I was shocked because I know what me and Elom have is genuine and we are so compatible,” she said, adding that her and Scott left on “great terms”: “It’s all love.”
Love Island airs Sunday to Friday at 9pm on ITV2.