Millions of people tune into Love Island. So, why is this show so popular and why do some parents watch it every evening?
I am always on the hunt for some kind of TV series that myself and my husband can watch together. We have completely different tastes when it comes to television so it is not an easy task at all. As it turns out, Love Island was just the ticket.
That’s right – my husband sits down and watches a TV show about men and women living together in a Spanish villa in the hopes of finding love.
As it turns out this is the case in thousands of homes across the country. At the end of a long day of parenting, mums and dads are sitting down together to watch this infamous reality TV show and this is my take on why.
Let’s start with escapism. Love Island is pure and utter escapism at its very basic level. When I am watching Love Island, I’m not thinking about the horrible things that are going on in the world. Things that I cannot change but carry with me after I’ve seen a news bulletin or documentary about them.
I’m thinking about that girl's bikini or cringing watching one of the challenges. It’s easy. Parenting is a hugely rewarding role and while we wouldn’t change it for the world it’s nice to be able to switch off at the end of each day. Love Island affords us that opportunity in my opinion.
Hands-up who enjoys half-watching TV shows? I’m not embarrassed to admit that I look forward to plonking my bum on the sofa in the evenings so I can scroll through social media.
As a result, I end up half watching the TV. Love Island is ideal in this regard. Between all of the ridiculous long-pauses in conversations and the many Ad breaks, I can happily half-watch the show without missing anything at all.
The time of this show is also very relevant here. It starts at 9 pm and that is why I actually get to sit down and watch it. As a mum, I have great intentions of my kids being tucked up asleep at 8 pm but the reality is it is always closer to 9 pm by the time they are asleep, and I’ve tidied up after dinner. By 9 pm I am actually in a position to sit down and relax.
Finally, it’s on every single night. I cannot be the only parent who spends the entire day looking forward to this TV show? It keeps me going and is the total highlight of my evening. I’m looking forward to what they are going to be wearing, who will be dating who and most importantly what Irish Maura will say in tonight’s episode.
As it turns out, there is a fair amount of eye candy for parents too…