Love Island U.K. Contestant Drops Out Following Machete Incident
Kyle Ashman won’t be entering the Love Island U.K. villa after all.
Days before its scheduled season 12 premiere, the reality dating series announced that the 23-year-old won’t be among the hopefuls looking for love in Mallorca, Spain, despite previously being unveiled as a member of the summer 2025 cast.
“For personal reasons,” ITV said in a statement obtained by Deadline June 3, “Kyle will not be entering the Love Island Villa as planned.”
Earlier this year, Ashman was one of two people arrested on suspicion of being involved in a machete attack at a wake in Stafford, England, The Sun reported. However, a spokesperson for the Staffordshire Police told the outlet both suspects in the February incident were released after being questioned and no further action was taken.
Following the report, Ashman denied any involvement in the matter and maintained his innocence.
“I fully cooperated with this police investigation and made it very clear that I had no involvement in this incident,” he told Deadline. “I am not a violent person, and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterization.”
E! News has reached out to ITV, Ashman and Stafford police for comment but has not heard back.
While it’s unclear how Ashman’s departure will affect the show’s casting, ITV previously announced 11 other singles set to hit the beach on the summer series, which is set to debut in the U.S. June 12 on Hulu.
Meanwhile, Love Island USA is also returning for a new season of love June 3 on Peacock, and host Ariana Madix was quick to point out that not everyone is cut out for the show’s format.
“It's not easy to put yourself out there in a dating sense,” she told USA Today in an interview published June 3, “but let alone a dating world that the entire world is watching.”
The Vanderpump Rules alum highlighted how “brave” the contestants are for participating in the series, adding, “I always hope that they have fun, too.”
Keep scrolling for a closer look at this year’s Love Island USA cast. (VG)
(E! News and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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