Love Island Season 7: What Most People Get Wrong About the Episode Count

Love Island Season 7: What Most People Get Wrong About the Episode Count

If you’re trying to plan a massive binge-watch of Love Island Season 7, you’ve probably noticed the numbers don’t always add up when you’re scrolling through different streaming platforms. Some sites say 49, others swear it's 58, and then there's the whole confusion between the UK original and the US version. Honestly, it’s a lot to keep track of.

The short answer? If we’re talking about the iconic 2021 UK series—the one with the Millie and Liam drama—Love Island Season 7 has 58 episodes total.

But wait. There is a catch. Depending on how you define an "episode," that number shifts.

Breaking Down the Love Island Season 7 Episode Math

You’ve got your nightly episodes, your "Unseen Bits" on Saturdays, and then the reunion special. Most fans just want to know how many nights they need to clear on their calendar. The series officially ran for 58 days, from June 28, 2021, to August 23, 2021.

If you look at the Wikipedia stats, you’ll often see "49 episodes" listed. This is because they aren't counting the Saturday night recap shows. But let's be real—if you’re a true fan, you’re watching the Unseen Bits for the hidden villa chaos that doesn't make the main cut.

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The UK vs. US Confusion

Wait, are you actually looking for the 2025 US season? Because that’s where things get really messy.

The US version of Love Island Season 7, which premiered in June 2025, has a completely different structure. While the UK version took nearly two months to crown Millie Court and Liam Reardon, the US version (hosted by Ariana Madix) moved at a breakneck pace with 37 episodes.

Version Total Episodes Primary Winners
UK Season 7 (2021) 58 (including specials) Millie & Liam
USA Season 7 (2025) 37 Bryan & Amaya

Basically, if you’re seeing 37 episodes, you’re likely looking at the Peacock/US listings. If you see 49 or 58, you’re in the right place for the ITV/UK version.


Why Season 7 Was Actually Longer Than Most

Most reality shows fizzle out after 10 or 20 episodes. Not this one. Season 7 was a beast because it had to make up for lost time. Remember, this was the "comeback" season after the 2020 summer show was cancelled due to the pandemic.

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ITV went all out. They had 37 different Islanders cycle through that villa. That is a massive cast. Because there were so many people to follow, they needed every single one of those 58 episodes to tell the story.

You had the Hugo Hammond "speech" incident, the Toby Aromolaran head-turning saga (the man changed his mind more than his socks), and the infamous Movie Night.

What exactly is in those 58 episodes?

  1. The Daily Grind: These are your standard 45-minute to hour-long episodes airing Sunday through Friday.
  2. Unseen Bits: Every Saturday, Iain Stirling narrates a montage of the stuff that was too weird or random for the main edit.
  3. The Reunion: One final episode where everyone sits on a couch and tries not to look awkward while rewatching their worst moments.

The "Movie Night" Turning Point

If you're wondering which episode to buckle up for, it's the one that changed the franchise forever. In Season 7, Episode 39 (Day 39), the producers introduced Movie Night.

Before this, the Islanders only knew what they saw with their own eyes. Movie Night changed the game by showing them clips of what their partners were doing in Casa Amor. It led to one of the most complained-about moments in Ofcom history—Faye Winter’s explosive reaction to Teddy Soares.

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It was raw. It was uncomfortable. And it’s why the episode count for this season feels so justified. You can't fit that kind of psychological fallout into a 30-minute recap.

Actionable Tips for Binge-Watching Season 7

If you're about to dive into this 58-episode marathon, don't just hit play and hope for the best.

  • Don't skip the Unseen Bits: People think they're filler. They aren't. In Season 7, the Unseen Bits actually showed the "real" personalities of people like Kaz and Liberty, who sometimes got lost in the heavy romantic drama of the main show.
  • Check the App/Streaming Labels: If you're on Hulu or ITVX, look for the "Reunion" specifically. Sometimes it's listed as a separate special rather than "Episode 58."
  • Pace Yourself: 58 episodes at roughly 50 minutes each is nearly 50 hours of content. If you watch two episodes a night, it’ll take you a full month to finish.
  • Note the 2025/2026 Context: Many of these Islanders, like Toby, Liberty, and Georgia Townend, have since appeared on Love Island Games or All Stars. If you're watching in 2026, it's actually pretty fun to see where they started before they became "professional" Islanders.

If you want to understand why Millie and Liam’s win was so controversial (or why Chloe Burrows became a social media superstar), you have to watch the full 58-episode arc. The "short version" just doesn't capture the slow-burn chaos that made the 2021 season a standout.

Make sure you’ve got a stable internet connection and plenty of snacks. You’re in for a long, dramatic ride.


Next Step: Check your streaming service to see if they categorize the "Aftersun" episodes separately. In some regions, Aftersun is included in the main episode list, which can puff the number up to over 60. Confirming this will save you from wondering why you have "missing" episodes in your queue.