Love Island Rich List 2022: Molly-Mae Hague STILL leads the reality star pack

In recent years, Love Island has become as much about landing lucrative fashion, beauty and entertainment deals as it has about finding romance.

The hit ITV2 show has seen many stars capitalise on their short stints in the villa, using the series and its dominance on social media as a launchpad for businesses, clothing edits, beauty empires and even documentary deals.

2019 star Molly-Mae Hague, 23, who finished as runner-up alongside Tommy Fury, has emerged as the most successful Love Island star to date, amassing a staggering £4.5million net worth – but that could all be about to change with 2022 contestants Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Gemma Owen staking their claim outside of the villa.

With sources tipping Ekin-Su, 28 as the ‘next Molly-Mae Hague’ as she’s inundated with brand deals and predicting Gemma will become the show’s most successful contestant ever, the pair could be joining villa alumni including Olivia and Alex Bowen, Maura Higgins, Megan Barton Hanson and Kem Cetinay on the Rich List…

Gemma Owen – 2022 series – signed six-figure deal with PrettyLittleThing

Snapping at Molly-Mae’s heels at online fashion outlet PrettyLittleThing, finalist Gemma Owen, 19. has signed a six-figure deal with the brand, MailOnline exclusively revealed this week.

Michael Owen’s daughter was handpicked by the online retail giant following a series of meetings in Manchester with founder Umar Kamani, 34, and his close team.

She is expected to become the richest Love Island contestant ever, eclipsing Molly-Mae by signing with the global fashion website – and is notably the first UK brand ambassador for PrettyLittleThing since the blonde signed with them in 2019.

Gemma said: ‘I wore PrettyLittleThing throughout my time on the show and now being announced as one of their newest ambassadors alongside some incredible talent including Love Island alumni is really special.   

‘The team has been amazing and I’m excited to get to work and start designing some collections for you all.’

In August last year, Molly, whose Instagram following is a whopping 6.4million, became the retailer’s creative director.

Gemma’s year-long partnership with PLT will see the ITV2 star launch her own collections and create content for the brand’s YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok channels.

She will also help the brand launch their new platform PLT Marketplace, where customers can resell clothes in a move towards improved sustainability.   

Entrepreneurial Gemma is already the owner of OG Swimwear, which she launched prior to starring on the dating show this summer.

The International dressage star, who has competed for Great Britain, came second in the Love Island final with Luca Bish, 23, a fishmonger from Brighton.

Gemma was rumoured to also be in the running for a big-money deal with fashion brand, Boohoo, with a source also revealing she has been ‘bombarded’ with big-money offers from high street brands to stock her swimwear line – with expert predicting she could easily pocket £1 million after leaving the show. 

A source told The Sun last month: ‘Win or lose, Gemma will make a fortune from Love Island through her fashion label. Since going on the programme orders have skyrocketed.

‘And there’s also been increasing interest from high street chains and online retailers who would like to discuss working with Gemma. She could make hundreds of thousands.’

Gemma herself has also admitted she’s determined to become a millionaire like her inspiration Kylie Jenner.

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu – 2022 series – £1million clothing deal and a TV spin-off  

‘Turkish delight’ Ekin-Su, 28, who won the 2022 series alongside beau Davide Sanclimenti, 27, has also been tipped to become the most-successful Love Island contestant ever, and has made a strong start outside of the villa by signing the biggest clothing deal in the show’s history with brand Oh Polly, 

The Essex-based actress, who has already scooped £25,000 in prize money was ‘inundated with offers’ by multiple retailers following her landslide win, signing with the brand in a deal worth more than £1million.

A source told MailOnline that the ITV2 champion, who won the £50,000 cash prize after garnering 63.7 per cent of the public vote, is ‘ecstatic’ and having ‘the week of her dreams.’  

An insider close to Ekin-Su revealed: ‘Ekin has met with countless brands this week, but she knew that Oh Polly was the perfect fit for her, and the feeling was mutual.

‘She’s signed an enormous deal worth over a million and now she can’t wait to start collaborating with the brand and working on her first ever collection.

‘Prior to Love Island, Ekin dreamed of one day making a name for herself, she will never forget this feeling of being in demand and admired by her legions of fans.’

Ekin left the Love Island villa not only as the show’s winner but with the biggest following, and now has a staggering 2.8million Instagram followers. 

A source close to Ekin-Su told MailOnline: ‘We’ve never seen the likes of the deals that are already coming through the door. It’s not just your typical reality TV fodder.  

‘She’s absolutely inundated with lucrative offers from brands and they’re prepared to pay big money to get her onboard. She’s going to be the new Molly-Mae Hague!’ 

An expert has also estimated that she could receive a £1 million payday after the show, profiting from fashion endorsements and club appearances.

A source predicted that brands will be lining up to work with both Gemma and Ekin-Su, telling the Mirror: ‘Ekin-Su and Gemma have been the stand-out stars in terms of marketability. Ekin-Su is not only beautiful, but she also has a captivating personality.

A source also reported that Ekin-Su had already sparked a ‘bidding war’ even before she left the villa.

An industry insider told the Daily Star: ‘Ekin-Su is hot property. Plenty of lucrative offers are already on the table.

‘Quite a few make-up ­companies and clothing brands want to work with her and they’re prepared to pay big money.

‘And then there are some TV offers as well. A bidding war has already started. Ekin-Su’s earning potential is massive. She’ll rack up £1m pretty quickly.’

Ekin-Su and Davide – who captivated the nation with their rollercoaster romance in the villa, have also announced a new ITV2 show which will follow them around Turkey and Italy – in a deal set to rake in further cash.  

A source told The Sun: ‘Just like with Olivia and Chris from 2018 then Jack and Dani in 2019, a spin-off show following Ekin and Davide would be a real ratings spinner.

Figures published by William Hill also showed that Ekin-Su could be making almost six times the average UK salary through sponsored posts on Instagram within the next year.

If Ekin-Su achieved similar sponsors to previous Islanders, including the likes of boohooMAN and Ann Summers, a single sponsored post a month could equate to an annual earning of £55,000.

Molly Mae Hague – 2019 series – £4.5million 

Molly-Mae shot to fame in the show’s fifth series when she found love with beau Tommy Fury, 23, finishing second to Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea – who parted ways just weeks later.

Already an influencer before joining the show, she has amassed 6.4million Instagram followers and landed a six-figure deal when she signed with fast fashion chain PLT in 2019 to become their creative director. 

Molly-Mae has made £1.2million in profits via her company MMH Group Holdings and £848,000 from her self-tanning business Filter. 

She added to her cash pot with her memoir released back in June – Becoming Molly-Mae – which sold at a cost of £20 and bulked up her fortune by £2million during the pandemic.

The star is also a brand ambassador for Beauty Works. 

Three years on, Molly and Tommy are still together and live in a £4million mansion in Cheshire,   

Tommy, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is a boxer himself.

He has an unbeaten boxing record and is said to have signed a six-figure deal to become the face of boohooMAN following his stint in the villa.

He is worth a reported £2.4million. 

 Olivia and Alex Bowen – 2016 series – £5million and the show’s richest couple

Runners-up Olivia and Alex Bowen have also proven the power of the longstanding couple in the financial stakes, with the pair racking up a £5million fortune collectively thanks to brand endorsements, TV appearances and their fashion brand, Exempt Society. 

Olivia and Alex, formerly a sales executive and scaffolder, soared to fame in 2016 when they appeared on the ITV2 reality show, where she was an original star and he a late and extremely popular entrant. 

While their romance was initially thrown into despair when he enjoyed a night of passion with Zara Holland, things soon flourished for the duo.  

Loved-up couple Olivia and Alex tied the knot in a luxurious Essex ceremony two years after meeting on Love Island during series two.

Their star-studded day secured them a lucrative £25,000 magazine deal and saw stars such as Gabby Allen, Pete Wicks, Tina Stinnes and Kady McDermott attended.

They scooped another reality show with TLC’s Olivia & Alex: Happily Ever After?  

In 2020 Olivia admitted she could earn up to £50,000 a month, a far cry from working as a sales executive.

Speaking Ovie Soko’s series Ovie: Life After Reality TV, the star admitted her life since leaving the villa was a worlds away from years living in a council flat.

She said: ‘I could never have dreamt of being in this position – not ever – and Love Island gave that to us.’

‘We then worked hard, we were nice people and we had a bit of luck on our side and not everyone gets that.’

Asked whether their earnings had been affected by their fame, Olivia added: ‘A good month for me back in the day would be about £1500. A good month for me… one month has been £50,000.’ 

Indiyah Polack – 2022 series – negotiating ‘mega-bucks’ deal with Boohoo   

Fellow 2022 finalist Indiyah Polack is also in talks for a mega-money deal with clothing brand Boohoo. 

The TV personality, 23, impressed bosses at the online retailer with her signature style in the villa and she is now being lined up for a collaboration, which could see her pocket a huge fee.

A source told MailOnline: ‘Indiyah is currently in talks for a huge deal with Boohoo. They feel that she can achieve great things with the brand and is the perfect fit.    

The insider continued: ‘Everyone loved Indiyah’s style during her time in the villa and she really impressed with her stylish looks. It’s potentially a very lucrative offer.’

Indiyah finished in third place on this year’s series of the ITV2 dating show, alongside her partner Dami Hope.

Elsewhere, Molly-Mae’s boxer boyfriend Tommy Fury, 23, best show friend Maura Higgins, 31, and their fellow 2019 contestant Amber Gill, 24, have all made it into the top five. 

Dani Dyer – 2018 series – £3.1million 

Dani, 26, shot to fame on the 2018 series, after a failed stint on fellow ITV2 series, Survival of the Fittest.

She won the show with then-beau Jack Fincham, and was embraced by the public due to her hilarious moments and no-nonsense personality.

The daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer, has successfully branded her self as a ‘mumfluencer’ after she welcomed son Santiago to the world with her jailed ex Sammy Kimmence last January.

She has capitalised on her skills as an actress thanks to the platform Love Island gave her after winning in 2018.

The star coined the phrase ‘Perf with Surf’ for an advertising campaign with washing powder Surf and she has a podcast with her famous father called Sorted with the Dyers. 

In 2021 it was revealed she had raked in a whopping £250,000 the previous year, with accounts for Dani’s firm I Want It, I Got It Ltd showing the star had a cash reserve of £318,630 for 2020, a near £70,000 increase from £251,318 in 12 months.

She has written a book, gained more than 3million Instagram followers and released lucrative clothing collections with In The Style. 

Maura Higgins – 2019 series – £2.5million   

Molly-Mae’s good pal Maura Higgins, 31, is said to be worth £2.5million, using her impressive 3.5million Instagram following to help her bring in some deals.

Maura won an army of fans during her time on the show, with her quick wit and notorious showdown with model Tom Walker as they were due to spend the night in the hideaway.

Her sensational snaps caught the attention of Elite Model Agency in 2019, with Maura joining the likes of Naomi Campbell on their books, while she reportedly netted a total of £500,000 for her work with clothing brand boohoo and lingerie giant Ann Summers.

Maura’s net worth could be set to soar even further with the departure of Love Island host Laura – as the Irish beauty is one the favourites tipped to replace her.

Amber Gill – 2019 series – £2million  

Series five winner Amber Gill, 25, is reportedly worth £2million.

She beat Molly-Mae and Tommy to the Love Island top spot and took home a share of the £50,000 prize money with her ex Greg O’Shea.

But while Amber and Greg’s budding romance seemed promising, the Newcastle native and the trainee solicitor became the fastest winners to part ways in the show’s history as they split after just five weeks together. 

Just six weeks after arriving back in the UK, Amber signed an exclusive six-month deal with online fashion brand MissPap in September – earning her £1 million just eight weeks after leaving Majorca. 

And in an interview with The Sun in 2019 she said: ‘I always told my family I’d be a millionaire and now I am.’ 

Before Love Island she worked with her auntie at a salon aptly named The Salon and she previously said she plans to invest her earnings to start a beauty empire.

Amber has now launched herself as a writer, penning a Mills and Boon romance novel.

Megan Barton-Hanson – 2018 series – £2million 

Megan Barton-Hanson, 28. won legions of fans on the 2018 series due to her stunning looks and romances with Eyal Booker and Wes Nelson.

Her biggest financial success came when she launched herself as an OnlyFans model, becoming one of the site’s biggest names. 

She banked a million in the last 12 months and is said to have raked in the cash selling lingerie.

Having also appeared on Celebrity Ex On The Beach, Megan is said to be worth £2million

Megan made well over a million in the last financial year and is also thought to have made a fortune selling sexy lingerie.

Megan’s proud stance on her sexuality also landed her a lingerie edit, Megan Loves, with Ann Summers, as well as her own collection of sex toy picks with the multinational retailer. 

 Liberty Poole – 2021 series – £1.7million

She may have failed to find love in the Love Island villa but Liberty Poole, 22, is laughing all the way to the bank, with the television personality being worth an estimated £1.7million.

The star is the face of Lola’s Lashes, which is stocked in Harrods, while she has worked with Skinny Tan and lingerie brand Boux Avenue.

She has also appeared on Dancing On Ice and landed an edit with beauty brand, Revolution. 

Amber Davies – 2017 series – £1.7million

West End star Amber Davies, who won the 2017 series with Kem Cetinay, is said to be worth £1.7million having returned to her acting roots after her Love Island stint.

Having successfully auditioned for her dream role in Dolly Parton’s musical 9 to 5, she also has 1.4million followers on social media and landed a £500,000 deal with fashion brand Motel Rocks.

Kem Cetinay – 2017 series – £1.4million  

Amber’s Kem follows her on the rich list and is said to be worth £1.4million.

The hairdresser, 25, recently signed a reported seven-figure deal with Primark to be the front grooming range which includes hairdryers, clippers and CBD.  

He has also made his way into hospitality and is also the owner of Essex restaurant Array.

Meanwhile, Kem has had a go at broadcasting and was the backstage host of Dancing On Ice on the most recent series. 

Chris Hughes – 2017 series – £1.4million   

Chris Hughes, 29. is said to be worth a reported £1.4million.

While they are no longer together, he coupled-up with Olivia Attwood on their series of the show, with the pair going on to have their own reality show Chris and Olivia: Crackin On’.

Together with ‘brother’ Kem, he released a rap single, Little Bit Leave It in 2017, which charted at number 15 on the UK charts.

He is now a presenter on ITV Racing, appearing on television at Epsom Derby during the Platinum Jubilee Weekend this year, and has an impressive Instagram following of 2.2million.

OTHER VILLA SUCCESS STORIES

While not making the coveted rich list this year, Love Island has spawned other successful contestants racking up substantial net worths.

2018 contestant Kaz Crossley is worth an estimated £390,000 due to a previous Boohoo ambassadorial role, clothing deals with George and FIT, and her income as owner of headwear company, KazBands.

Fellow 2018 star Alexandra Cane is worth £330,000 thanks to her activewear company, while 2017 contestant Sam Gowland is worth £285,000 courtesy of his Geordie Shore role and property business.

2018 star Wes Nelson has racked up a fortune of £280,000 due to releasing hit singles including See Nobody and appearances on reality shows including Dancing On Ice, X Factor: Celebrity and The Games.

While Josh Denzel, who appeared on the 2018 series, is worth £250,000 thanks to his role as a sports presenter and a previous clothing deal.

Source: | Dailymail.co.uk