Since its debut earlier this month, Peacock’s Love Island Games has been the gift that keeps on giving.
The series — which is a spinoff of Love Island UK and other franchises, including Love Island USA — sees former Islanders across the globe return to the villa (this time in Fiji) for a second chance at finding love while also competing in a series of daily challenges for a whopping $100,000.
Like the O.G. series, Love Island Games, which premiered on November 1, has provided drama and eye candy. The cast frolics around in bikinis — or shirtless with swim trunks — during the day before getting glammed up in night-out looks for the evening. With so much time under the sun (and in water) viewers have often been left curious about how the women manage to stay camera ready. Black fans specifically have questioned how the show’s stars of color maintain their hair — with or without protective styles — amid the tropical conditions.
“It was a bit difficult,” Zeta Morrison, who won season 4 of Love Island USA and returned to the franchise as a bombshell on the November 15 episode of Love Island Games, exclusively told Us Weekly. “You’re going to see my edges whispering and saying hi to people,” Morrison, 30, joked.
She went on to share that some of the heat tools that were provided didn’t get “hot enough” and weren’t “Black girl friendly.”
Morrison explained, however, that contestants are allowed to bring in their own beauty products into the villa and they are offered an assortment of haircare items in the dressing rooms.
“I didn’t find edge control this season,” Morrison said, adding that her Love Island USA season had an abundance of edge control as well as edge brushes. “My Love Island USA season was amazing.”
Morrison also spilled on the clothing situation. With Love Island Games, Love Island UK and USA, the stars never know when their time at the villa is up. So, how does one pack for the unknown, you ask?
“You just have to pack as much as you possibly can,” Morrison told Us. “Every scenario and every situation you have to think about. Like, ‘What do I want to wear to bed? What swimsuits? What do I want to wear for decouplings?’”
Morrison said the women also share, which is often why viewers sometimes see the stars in the same outfits throughout the season. She also clarified whether or not the cast are forced to wear tiny bikinis.
“When I was first on Love Island USA, I felt very confident with my body. This time around, I wasn’t in the shape that I would have liked to be in, so you’ll see me in my coverup and production was very nice. There is no hard rule, ‘You have to wear a bikini and nothing.’ They always just want you to feel comfortable,” Morrison said.
In addition to spilling beauty secrets, Morrison also dished on her villa strategy and why she decided to give Love Island a second try.
“I went in there, like, OK, I’m going to read the situation. I’m going to just chat to people, and I can get a sense of who can be swayed and who can’t,” Morrison said, noting that she had her eye on Johnny Middlebrooks and Jack Fowler.
“I thought Jack was very handsome, so he was definitely on my radar, but for game and performance wise actually, I was thinking of Johnny — but I knew I wasn’t going to take that boy seriously,” she explained.
Middlebrooks, 25, famously caused trouble during his season 2 of Love Island while coupled up with Cely Vazquez. The two came in second place, but broke up a few months later.
Morrison said she was excited to return to the show because of the newness surrounding Love Island Games. “The love Island franchise is just beyond. I thought, ‘How cool would it be in a house with all of these people from all around the world.'”
As for whether or not she’s trying to find love again, Morrison teased, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time.”
New episodes of Love Island Games premiere on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET six nights a week, Sunday through Friday.
