Love Island’s Shakira pinpoints moment villa divide began as she breaks silence on ‘feud’

The Season 12 runner-up has finally addressed the infamous villa divide

A supposed rift amongst this year’s Love Island contestants has dominated debate about the programme, which reached its tearful conclusion last night (August 4).

Over the course of the eight-week run, viewers witnessed Toni Laites, Shakira Khan and Yasmin Pettet appearing to lead distinctly different lives from the remaining female contestants and their romantic partners, reports OK!

Despite former Islanders consistently refuting claims of any villa split, fan darling Shakira has finally broken her silence on the matter in her post-finale interview.

READ MORE: Love Island fans spot star’s odd response to couple’s emotional relationship updateREAD MORE: Love Island fans are only just discovering winner Cach Mercer’s reality TV history

Shakira and her beau Harry Cooksley finished as runners-up to victors Toni and Cach Mercer during Monday evening’s programme (August 5).

Addressing the villa drama head-on, Shakira identified the precise moment tensions arose, sharing: “What it stems from is on day one or day two, I was put in a position here I had to graft and so was deemed as a threat. From then on, I was treated differently.”

She continued: “So then I found a friendship with Toni and we sort of flocked together. When you are a threat to someone’s relationship you are not going to be the best of pals.”

The bond between Shakira, Toni and Yasmin has grown so strong that she’s vowed to have them as “bridesmaids at my wedding and godmothers of my children.” Their mothers Leslie, Mitra and Sukina have also formed lasting friendships, delighting devoted series followers.

Shakira’s perspective on the rift follows closely after Meg Moore shared her version of events. Meg, who was booted out alongside partner Dejon Noel-Williams in the second-to-last episode, claimed the show’s editing had magnified matters “way out of proportion.”

“I think with the divide and the girls, it’s taken way out of proportion that what it is,” she insisted. “All of us girls do get on, like we say all these comments and stuff and I say things, they say things, we’re all equal with what we say.”

She continued: “And I think obviously I was hurt by it seeing it on a TV screen, but at the same time we’re with each other 24 hours of the day.

“It would be wrong if we didn’t argue because at home with my sister, I’ll argue with because that’s just because we’re in each other’s space and we always said as the whole girls, if everything was left it would be left outside the dressing room.”

Nevertheless, Angel Swift, who finished fourth in the grand finale with partner Ty Isherwood, also hinted at an obvious split after departing the programme.

“Luckily I wasn’t involved in the girls’ divide and was friends with them all,” she revealed, whilst Ty chimed in: “There was a bit of pressure to put your two pence in sometimes but I didn’t think it was worth it.”

All episodes of Love Island are available to stream now on ITVX