What happened on Love Island summer 2023 last night? Episode 5 recap

As new bombshell Sammy Root gets comfortable in the villa, the boys are on edge to see who the new islander will choose to get to know – but who will he choose?

If you missed the episode, don’t worry - RadioTimes.com has you covered, with a full video recap available to watch above.

Read on to get the lowdown on what happened during episode 5 of Love Island…

What happened on Love Island summer 2023 last night? Episode 5 recap

The episode kicked off from the night of new bombshell Sammy's arrival and all eyes were on the 22-year-old project manager from Kent to see who he'd want to progress with after his three dates.

He of course selected Molly Marsh, Jess Harding and Ella Thomas for his three poolside dates. But for Sammy, there was one girl that was front and centre in his mind. He soon admitted that he had the best time with Molly and felt an instant connection to her. Knowing how close Mitchel Taylor and Molly are, Sammy pulled Mitchel for a chat to tell him how things went.

In the chat, he told Mitchel that he wants to pursue things with Molly and see where they go. He also shared that Molly told him that she's not "closed off" and is also open to get to know other boys, something that Mitchel didn't know.

Feeling confused by his conversation with Sammy, Mitchel went up to the terrace with Zachariah Noble to ask him for his advice. But as the other islanders have told Mitchel and Molly, it is only the first week and feelings change. Zachariah is of course interested in Molly also so the conversation left Mitchel wanting to discuss things with Molly.

He pulled her for a chat and Molly confessed to feeling emotional that morning, because everyone kept telling her she was closed off when she isn't. She told Mitchel that she wants to get to know other boys and that he should still want to get to know other girls, but Mitchel admitted that he doesn't want to.

Clearly on different pages, Mitchel then told Molly he wants to take a step back from what they have going on. He said: “I don’t want to give you the energy I think you deserve, when you’re not going to give me any reciprocation back. I’d rather let you do your thing.”

He added: “No one compares to you right now. I’m still gonna adore you, I still think you’re great … I don’t wanna cuddle and all that stuff anymore, I want to sit back and I want you to explore your options.”

Leaving the conversation, Molly grew emotional with the girls and cried, saying that she doesn't like letting people down. But Ruchee, Whitney and Ella told her that she should continue pursuing things with the other boys too and not feel bad.

At the same time, Mitchel and Jess debriefed about his emotional conversation with Molly. Jess confessed that she thinks Molly could be playing a game and "acting like a boy in this".

Elsewhere, Medhi and Whitney got to know each other a little more sitting by the firepit and exchanged a series of flirty compliments. Later in the beach hut, Whitney says of Mehdi: “He is literally my vibe, Mehdi is definitely one of my top boys, he’s giving.”

But the next day, George Fensom pulls Whitney for a chat after saying to the boys that he's the most interested in her. They exchange jokes and get to know each other, with George later confessing that Whitney has a different energy from the other girls in the villa. "I love that", he reveals.

A shock text soon disrupts the islanders' day, though, as it's announced that the girls will make their decisions about what boy they want to recouple with that very evening. While Zachariah has had the chance to couple up with Catherine already in the season, this is the first full recoupling that means that one boy is to leave the villa.

As night falls, everyone is wondering what Molly will do and also where that will leave the boys. The girls make their decisions around the firepit. Ruchee couples up with André, Catherine couples up with Zachariah and Ella couples up with Tyrique. Molly then surprisingly couples back up with Mitchel, leaving Jess to couple up with Sammy and Whitney to couple up with Mehdi.

George is the boy not selected to couple up with any of the girls and is sent packing from the villa. But what will the recoupling mean for the remaining couples? Will Molly continue to get to know the other boys? Are there going to be any more imminent bombshells making their way in? We'll have to wait and see.

Love Island airs on ITV2 at 9pm. You can watch all previous seasons of Love Island on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.