Love Island's Jonny dismisses claims he was 'controlling and possessive' with Tyla

Love Island's resident moper and Will Young lookalike (sort of), Jonny Mitchell has been dumped from the villa, but did he get a bit creepy with Tyla in the end?

Despite the fact she's gutted about him leaving, the 'secret millionaire' hit back at claims he became a bit possessive once towering Olympian Theo Campbell came onto the scene last week.

Speaking to various journalists following his exit, Jonny said: "'I know it's surrounding one of the things I said about 'prying Tyla out of my cold dead hands'.

"I personally think it takes a special kind of person to look at that and see that I wasn't joking... obviously I was joking. That was not meant in a literal sense.

"I was trying to put a more comical head on things and that was taken a little out of context as it was obviously a joke. I think my actions in there speak louder than anything else."

The 26-year-old businessman was criticised by Women's Aid CEO Polly Neate, who wrote on the company's website: "When Jonny said that new arrival Theo would have to prise Tyla 'from my cold dead hands', it was not romantic.

"It did not demonstrate how much he liked her. It was possessive and controlling. What can all too easily be passed off as banter, actually carries the underlying sentiment that this man believes he owns this woman.

"The fact that Tyla says she was left wanting to run away from a controlling relationship in the past, shows just how easy this sort of behaviour, if unchecked, can slip into a controlling and abusive relationship."

Jonny also caused a stir in the villa when he confronted Theo for flirting with Tyla behind his back, claiming that he should have spoken to him first. There was also tension at the white party's recoupling, after Jonny called Theo a "bellend" for coupling with Tyla and the pair almost came to blows.

Jonny continued: "I did confront Theo when I felt he'd been a little bit shifty, a little bit snakey.

"But after that I backed right off from Tyla and let her make her own decisions and clear her own head – so I think if anything, that shows I wasn't controlling.

"There was never a doubt in my mind, I was always going to make that decision as far as I was concerned.

"Aside from the fact I've done longer on the show, it was a gentlemanly thing to do."

Theo did criticise a distraught Tyla for not leaving with Jonny if she was so upset, which a lot of Twitter fans agreed with. However, she didn't see it quite the same way and gave him a serious scolding.

In the interview, he went on to admit that breaking things off with series favourite Camilla might have led to his downfall.

On the show it sounds 'Muggy' Mike might be making to a return to the series along with cheeky Geordie Sam Gowland if fans decide to vote them back in, rather than two more newbies.

Surely he'll be pressed to talk about those incessant rumours something happened between him and Dom's girlfriend Jess Shears after they were evicted.

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Laurence Mozafari

Laurence Mozafari (he/him) is a multi-award winning journalist, editor, and presenter. A former Editor-in-Chief of Digital Spy, Laurence previously held roles as the site's Editor, Deputy Editor, and Associate Editor focusing on news, social, and video. Laurence hosted the BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Peaky Blinders in 2019. He also hosts his own podcast production, Time of My Life, where he interviews fascinating elders about their life lessons, including Only Fools and Horses' Sir David Jason, Star Trek’s George Takei and Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh.

Laurence was named Editorial Director – Youth Audience at Reach in early 2025. Prior to joining Digital Spy, he was previously at Bauer Media working as Digital Editor of Heat magazine's website Heatworld.com, and has also worked at and written for Sky, NME, Q magazine, Grazia, Closer, FHM and dedicated careers website GoThinkBig. He secured a first-class BA journalism degree at Staffordshire University, along with several NCTJ qualifications, and now has 14 years' experience in digital publishing covering TV, movies, music, gaming, tech, showbiz, and travel.

Laurence has been a broadcasting contributor on television and radio, including KISS, Heat Radio, BBC Radio London, Radio 5 Live, and BBC Breakfast.

He is also a visiting lecturer at various universities teaching journalism, including City, University of London, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire University and London Metropolitan. Laurence has won numerous awards in his journalism career, including the BSME Talent Award’s Best Deputy Editor, the PPA's 30 Under 30, and the New Editor and Editor of the Year at the AOP and BSMEs. He led Digital Spy to win PPA's Digital Content Team of the Year twice, along with the British Media Awards’ Brand of the Year in 2021.

Laurence joined the committee for the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2022 and was named vice-chair in 2025. He has since hosted panels with CEOs of Immediate Media and the Media Trust at the PPA Festival, as well as presenting his own radio show on Green Man Radio at Green Man Festival in 2022. Laurence is also a Brits voting academy member.

Laurence has been lucky enough to interview numerous celebrities, actors, and musicians throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger loved his hair, Jimmy Carr loved his coat and Antonio Banderas gave a shout-out to his mum. Laurence has covered set visits for The Witcher on Netflix and Marvel’s Inhumans, he got Daisy Ridley to do a Chewbacca impression and loves Marvel, PlayStation, Glastonbury and craft beer.  Linkedin