Millie Court and Liam Reardon have been named the winners of Love Island 2021.
The fashion buyer’s administrator from Essex, 24, considered splitting from the bricklayer from Wales, 22, after he was unfaithful while in rival villa Casa Amor, but the couple reunited to win the £50,000 prize money.
They beat Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran in the final two, while Teddy Soares and Faye Winter came in third and Kaz Kamwi and Tyler Cruickshank placed fourth.
What a moment 🙌 Huge congrats to Millie and Liam #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/K0OwpZIGVY
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) August 23, 2021
After the result of the public vote was announced, the couple had to decide whether to stick or split the cash prize.
Millie received the envelope with the money but decided to split it with Liam – meaning they took home £25,000 each.
Speaking after their win, she said: “I can not believe we have just been crowned the winners of Love Island,” before adding: “We have literally had the summer of our lives and we are going to leave here and now explore our future together.”
Laura Whitmore hosted the live final from the garden of the ITV2 show’s Mallorcan villa while a cheering audience looked on.
During their final interviews, Toby joked that describing his relationship with Chloe as a “massive journey” was an “understatement” after the pair broke up and then got back together during the series.
Teddy and Faye also recalled their journey in the villa during an interview with Whitmore, with Faye apologising for losing her temper during the Casa Amor period of the show, despite Teddy not straying romantically.
The final episode of the series, which featured nearly 40 islanders attempting to find love in the villa, also included clips of the finalists’ last day together.
During their final morning in the villa, the finalists were woken by a text which announced they would be taking part in a salsa dance class ahead of the winners being announced that evening.
A second text told the female contestants they would be leaving the villa to visit a spa.
The male contestants wrote declarations of love to their partners, with Toby worrying his letter would be “so soppy”.
Later that day, the boys wore black tie to a summer ball event in the villa garden.
Not the conga making us feel emosh at this being the final ep of the series 😢 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/fvW3qjuMA6
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) August 23, 2021
The girls arrived one by one and the group enjoyed glasses of champagne before reading each other their declarations.
During his declaration of love, Liam recalled his “special” first kiss with Millie before apologising for his dalliance with Lillie Haynes during his trip to rival villa Casa Amor.
He said: “I then had a challenge thrown my way and I was so sorry for what I had done. Seeing you distraught and I never want to see you that way ever again.”
Toby used his speech to ask Chloe to be his girlfriend.
Love Island’s 2019 winner Amber Gill praised Toby for using his declaration to confirm their relationship.
She wrote on Twitter: “Who would have thought TOBY would ask the best way out of everyone!”
Liberty Poole and Jake Cornish, who had been coupled up since the first episode of the show, gave up a place in the final last week when they called time on their romance and left the villa.