Former Love Island contestant Sean Stone has promised a major change to his dating strategy as he prepares to enter the villa for the All Stars edition, following some blunt advice from his mother.
Mum's 'Cringe' Complaint Sparks Change
The 26-year-old, who rose to fame on the show's 2024 season, became known for his confectionery-themed wordplay, inspired by his sweet shop business, Sweet Delivery. However, ahead of the new series, Sean revealed his mum told him to abandon the tactic, claiming it gave potential partners "the ick within the first five minutes."
"It was too cringe to be honest," Sean confessed in an exclusive interview with press including MyLondon. "My mum has put it into me and said 'Sean, just drop the sweet lines.'" The ITV2 spin-off is set for its comeback on Monday, January 12th, with Sean joining fellow returning Islanders like Whitney Adebayo, Millie Court, and Shaq Muhammad.
A New, Authentic Strategy for Romance
For his second attempt at finding love on the reality TV phenomenon, the entrepreneur from Hertfordshire plans to simply "be authentic." He elaborated, stating that his notorious puns were not part of his usual approach outside the villa.
"I think this time I really want to just go in and be myself," he said. "On nights out, I don't go up to girls saying 'Alright babe you look like a strawberry bonbon.'" He did, however, leave the door slightly ajar for a sugary comeback, joking: "Never say never. I am a candy man, so I might drop a few lines here and there."
While his sweet talk didn't lead to lasting romance with his 2024 partner Matilda Draper (they split weeks after finishing third), it "did wonders" for his business, driving significant social media traffic to Sweet Delivery.
Toning Down for a Second Chance
Sean also intends to modify another aspect of his behaviour after facing viewer criticism during his first stint. He received backlash for making "snaky" comments following fellow Islander Omar Nyame's elimination, believing it improved his chances with Matilda.
Reflecting on his previous outspoken nature, Sean admitted: "I was very, very opinionated last time around on stuff that made sense in my head, but on the TV side of things may not have been portrayed in [the same way] I was seeing it." His new approach will be more measured: "I am obviously [still] going to be opinionated, but maybe to a certain degree where if it's not really affecting me just keep my business to myself."
Love Island All Stars returns to ITV2 and ITVX on Monday, January 12 at 9pm.
