Samie Elishi lifts lid on future with boyfriend Tyrique
IT’S been more than two years since Samie Elishi last walked out of the Love Island villa – and as this year’s finalists prepare for tonight’s live final, she knows better than most what comes next.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, the former Islander has backed this year’s cast to “smash it” after the villa and lifted the lid on life with boyfriend Tyrique Hyde – amid her latest career ventures.
The Essex beauty finished third alongside Tom Clare in 2023, winning over viewers with her no-nonsense approach to villa drama. Like many Islanders, she left Majorca with a world of opportunities suddenly opening up in front of her.
These days, her time is split between building businesses and enjoying a relationship with fellow Love Island star Tyrique Hyde that blossomed after both of them left the villa.
After working with W7 since leaving Love Island, Samie officially became one of its ambassadors earlier this year and is now preparing to launch her collaboration with the beauty giant.
And with this year’s Love Island final airing tonight, Samie admits she’ll be watching just like millions of other viewers – knowing exactly what’s about to hit the finalists when they leave the villa.
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She said, “I have been watching it. I watch it every year.”
Unlike some former contestants who distance themselves from the programme once it’s ends, Samie has “never missed a series”. And as tonight’s finalists prepare to discover whether they’ve won the public vote, she believes a few couples have the potential to make a success of life beyond the villa.
While millions of viewers have watched this year’s Islanders navigate recouplings, Casa Amor and Movie Night, Samie knows the real challenge only begins once the cameras stop rolling.
Asked what advice she would give the finalists before they step back into the real world, she doesn’t hesitate: “Soak up every moment before your phone comes back. As soon as you switch that phone on… wow.”
Rather than getting caught up in public opinion, she hopes this year’s cast focuses on making the most of the opportunities waiting for them.
“I feel like all of them are really strong this year,” she said.
“They’ve all got such good heads on them. I honestly think they’re all going to smash it, whatever they decide to do.”
Despite following every episode, Samie refuses to be drawn into choosing one favourite contestant.
The star admitted, “I feel like everyone has been really entertaining this year. You know what? I actually don’t have a favourite – I actually like everyone for different reasons.”
Though she has connected with one person: “I spoke to Ellie on the phone because she was on Tyrique’s stream and she was lovely.”
She’s also been impressed by Finn and Ellie’s relationship, admitting she hopes they continue to go from strength to strength outside the villa.
When it comes to predicting the winners, though, Samie knows better than most that Love Island rarely follows the script.
She believes Jasmine and Kavan have every chance after winning viewers over with their journey, while Simba and Angie have also caught her eye.
“I feel like Jasmine and Kav have a good chance. They’re very much loved up. I really like Simba and Angie.”
But she suspects the biggest surprise could come elsewhere.
Samie explained: “I think Tommy and Yasmin could be the underdogs. It’s always the winners that nobody expects.”
Although, with the recent revelation that Tommy was in a relationship 2 weeks prior to entering the villa – this may have thrown a spanner in the works for their place in the final.
Having experienced the unpredictable public votes herself, she knows contestants inside the villa often have little idea how they’re being perceived.
“When you’re in there, you genuinely don’t know what’s being shown,” she explained.
“So when the public vote comes in, you’re just like, ‘Okay… that’s fine.’”
Watching this year’s romances unfold has also reminded Samie just how much life has changed since her own villa experience. Although she and Tyrique Hyde both found fame on Love Island, their relationship didn’t begin in the villa.
Asked how life together compares to the whirlwind romances viewers usually see on screen, which can often crash and burn off camera, she laughed: “Me and Ty were never actually on the cameras together. So we’ve just met properly in real life. It’s just been us from the start, which has been really nice.”
The pair now spend virtually every day together, with Samie admitting moving in together feels less like an “if” and more like a “when.”
She said: “In the future we’ll definitely live together. We’re inseparable anyway, so it won’t really change much.”
Friends and fans have watched the relationship flourish over the past year, and Samie says she’s happier than ever.
“We’re just really happy. I feel like everyone who knows me can see that.”
That happiness has spilled over into every other part of her life too.
Now she’s preparing to unveil what she describes as her “biggest beauty venture” yet, after spending months working behind the scenes on a collaboration with W7.
Unlike many celebrity collections that simply involve putting a famous face on an existing product, Samie insists this project has been far more hands-on.
Opening up on the project, she said: “We’ve been working on the products really closely. I’ve been using little testers for months because I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.”
Although she’s sworn to secrecy over exactly what fans can expect, she promises the finished collection is unmistakably her.
She laughed: “It’s really annoying because I can’t actually tell you what it is. But what I can say is it’s very me.”
Rather than simply lending her name to a range, Samie wanted the products to reflect the make-up look she’s become known for since first appearing on ITV2.
“I wanted products that people can use every day. That was what I based everything around,” she explained.
The collaboration is the culmination of a relationship that began shortly after she left Love Island.
“It’s been such a huge pinch-me moment,” she admitted.
One of the biggest milestones came when she spotted herself in Superdrug stores across the country.
She laughed: “Walking into Superdrug and seeing my face there is just mad. My friends keep sending me photos every time they see it. It’s one of those shops we all grew up going into, so it feels surreal.”
Alongside the W7 collaboration, Samie continues to develop her perfume brand while juggling a house move and several other ventures she’s not yet ready to reveal.
“This has definitely been my busiest year,” she said.
“There are so many exciting things coming later this year and into next year. I just feel like I keep ticking things off my bucket list.”
Rather than relying on the fleeting fame that comes with reality TV, Samie has spent the past two years building a career away from the villa.
“I feel like we’re conquering all aspects this year,” she said.
“There are so many exciting things coming towards the end of this year and the start of next year.”