Love Island's latest recoupling delivered another dramatic twist, as Mara and Charleen were both dumped from the Villa. While the decision brought an abrupt end to both of their journeys, many fans were left questioning Mara's departure in particular, arguing that she still had more to offer.
Emotions ran high during Tuesday's (7 July) episode, which saw Simba try to get back into Angelista's good books. Meanwhile, Mara struck up a connection with Jordon, and the pair even ventured to the terrace to discuss their romantic potential.
Mara had been keen to move on from her love triangle with Simba and Angelista, which begun when the hunk returned from Casa Amor with her in tow. But just as Mara believed her journey could progress, she was shocked to learn that it had actually come to an end.
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
During the recoupling, Simba made it clear that he would remain committed to Angelista, leaving viewers hopeful that Jordon could save Mara from a dreaded dumping. But when his turn came to pick a new Villa partner, fans were stunned when Jordon picked Martha.
Taking to social media, viewers of the ITV dating series shared their frustrations over Mara's exit, with one of them claiming that she had been "humiliated" throughout her short-lived experience.
What to Read Next
Another handful of viewers regretted that Mara had not been introduced to the show earlier on, while one fan pleaded with producers to consider her for the next season of Love Island: All Stars.
Mara was introduced as a bombshell during Casa Amor, and almost immediately became embroiled in a love triangle with Simba and fellow bombshell Nevaeh. Despite the drama, Mara revealed that she'd managed to make several steady friendships.
"I wouldn't change anything I did because I stayed true to myself. Even when I was telling Simba off, that was just me expressing that I was hurt," she said following her exit. "I made so many friendships and I'll always be grateful for the experience."
Elsewhere, Kavan and Charleen's connection abruptly ended when he revealed that he would be giving his relationship with Jasmine another chance. A tearful Charleen was comforted by some of the girls after a private chat with Kavan, but she was fuming when she spotted him taking Jasmine to the Hideaway.
During another conversation, Charleen told Kavan that she'd been hurt by his actions as he'd only called time on their connection shortly before. While Kavan apologised, it was clear that their bond was damaged beyond repair.
It was in these circumstances that Charleen waved goodbye to the Villa, as she was dumped for good. But she was far from surprised, noting: "I had a feeling it was going to go the way it did. Me and Kavan were finished and I knew he'd still want to explore things with Jasmine."
Related: Sky to take over ITV: What that means for your favourite shows, like Love Island and I'm a Celeb
Speaking about her rocky connection with Kavan, she added: "You can say you want to explore two connections, but actually doing it is really difficult. When he's talking to me, Jasmine might be watching and worrying."
"When he's talking to Jasmine, I'm worrying. It's a really awkward thing to navigate. I think that's something he should have thought about before bringing me back. That was on him, not me," she added.
Love Island continues this Wednesday (8 July) from 9pm on ITV2.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online.
