Love Island stars Mara Pirez and Charleen Murphy could be heading back to the villa, with the pair reportedly among the names being considered for the next season of Love Island: All Stars.
The duo, who became close friends during their time on the show, spent just nine days in the Love Island villa this summer but quickly became two of the season’s most talked-about contestants.
While no official discussions have reportedly taken place yet, it is understood that Love Island bosses are keen to approach both women when casting gets underway for the next All Stars series, which is expected to return in January.
Mara Pirez made a major impression during her brief stint on the show after entering through Casa Amor and being brought back to the main villa by Simba Kudyiwa, despite his existing connection with Angelista Gunda.
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However, their romance was short-lived. Just a day after returning to the villa together, Simba told Mara that he wanted to concentrate on his relationship with Angie.
Mara’s response quickly became one of the season’s most memorable moments, calling him a “joke” and an “absolute wasteman”. The moment went viral among viewers, with fans praising Mara for her blunt response and calling for her to return to the villa.
The influencer has said to have one condition if she is offered a place in the line-up: she wants to enter as an original All Stars contestant rather than as a bombshell.
Mara has reportedly told friends that she would be open to returning to the show, although she does not want to repeat her experience of entering as a late bombshell.
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Her reported preference comes after she found it difficult to form a genuine connection while entering the villa later in the series, when many of the Islanders had already established strong relationships.
Charleen also entered the series as a Casa Amor bombshell and immediately attracted attention, both for her appearance and her sizeable social media following.
She left Casa Amor coupled up with Kavan Murphy, but her time in the villa was also short-lived after Kavan chose to rekindle his connection with Jasmine Muller, resulting in Charleen’s exit.
Despite their early departures, both women appear to have left a lasting impression on viewers, with fans suggesting that they had more to offer than their nine-day appearances allowed them to show.
Charleen, meanwhile, has already hinted that she would consider returning to the franchise.
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Speaking to Goss.ie about the possibility of appearing on Love Island again, she said she “would be up for it if the timing made sense”, while admitting that there had been no conversation about a return at that point.
She also explained that contestants cannot simply audition for All Stars, as potential Islanders are approached directly by producers.
For now, neither Mara nor Charleen has officially been confirmed for the upcoming series, but their popularity during this year’s season could make them strong contenders when casting begins.
With both women having had such short runs in the villa, a return could also give viewers the chance to see whether they can find the connections they were unable to make the first time around.
Words by Robyn Jane Lawlor
