Sam Thompson marks exit from ‘Love Island: Aftersun’

Sam Thompson will no longer be appearing on Love Island: Aftersun.

The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner has been a regular on the Love Island spin-off programme's panel since 2023, but he won't be involved much this year because he is busy with other projects.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper, “Sam’s schedule is jam packed and producers are going in a different direction so there’ll be a bit of a shake-up on Aftersun.”

They continued, “ITV is really keen on harnessing new talent especially plucking from their pool of influencers and TikTokkers to boost ratings.”

“Sam may well return as a guest, he still loves the show, but he won’t be a regular,” the insider further mentioned.

A spokesperson for the former Made in Chelsea star confirmed Sam has stepped back to focus on his "many other" presenting projects.

His representative said, “Sam absolutely loved his time as part of the Love Island team and the show will always have a special place in his heart, but he felt 2026 was the year to concentrate on his many other ITV projects.”

“Sam is a big part of the ITV family and is looking forward to his imminent I’m A Celeb South Africa Final presenting role,” the spokesperson added.

Love Island: Aftersun is also fronted by main show presenter Maya Jama, but didn't air along with the recent Love Island All Stars for logistical reasons.

An insider explained, "They didn’t have Aftersun last time either because Maya is based in South Africa for the duration of filming. Flying her back and forth to London for a short-run show just isn’t practical.”

“It’s all about making things work seamlessly without compromising the main show,” they further said.

Meanwhile, Sam recently admitted having a reality TV background can be a "double-edged sword" when it comes to career development.

Speaking at a screening of his new YouTube documentary, Sam explained, "It's a weird thing isn't it? Because when you do reality TV, I started in my early twenties, and you do this sort of thing and at the start there was no social media, right?”

He also stated, "So, you do these shows and right after that, it's go and get a different job, whatever that may be and it's been a fun time in my twenties.”

"And then, you do this show and the industry as it were appears in front of your face when all these doors happen, you try and walk through the doors and they're very firmly shut,” Sam Thompson explained as he discussed how being part of reality TV can sometimes get to a person.