Kem Cetinay was easily one of the best Love Islanders ever, ever EVER. (And even then, he'd only be beaten by Alex Bowen and his mighty trouser snake, which is a bit of an unfair contest really.)
Kem literally made our lives on Love Island in 2017, spitting bars, cutting everyone's hair and looking uncannily like Arg from TOWIE. Not forgetting his dramatic anecdotes in the beach hut.
He also talked a lot about hummus, and even though we don't think he’s referring to the pot of joy from Sainsbury's fridge aisle – we also really like hummus.
Since then he's starred on Dancing on Ice, he has presented on the tele and took part in Soccer Aid.
So who is is Kem Cetinay from Love Island 2017? Let's get all investigative shall we…
The "cheeky chappy" is a hairdresser from Essex, and we’re not surprised judging by his glossy long locks.
Kem was the shortest guy during the 2017 series and according to his mum he's 5ft 8in.
"We're a short family," she told new! magazine.
Yes he sure did and everyone was obsessed. Here's Kem and Chris Hughes spitting bars in the villa…
And since then he release the absolute banger Little Bit Leave It alongside Chris Hughes.
The majority of Love Island relationships don't last but the friendships usually do and that includes Chris and Kem's.
In a recent TikTok, during a Q&A, Kem opened up about whether he's still friends with Chris.
"Of course, that's my bro," he admitted.
Cuuuute.
Not every Essex celeb goes on TOWIE (unfortunately) and that's including Kem.
Back when he was still dating Amber, in 2017, he shut down TOWIE rumours.
"No, me going on Towie has never been discussed. It was obvious for people to assume that because I'm from Essex and I know the guys on there.
"But for me like at the moment that's not the type of route I want to go down because I want to do things with Amber," he told The Sun.
Then again, and in the words of Justin Bieber, never say never…
Before going into the villa Kem described himself as "really funny" and "enjoyable to be with", but also rather emotional – "I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm all in or out, nothing in between".
Well, he's been in the spotlight for the past four years and it's safe to say he wasn't lying.
A BLOODY DREAM, MATE. Honestly, someone grab us a desk fan, pronto. Have a look at Kem with short hair for yourself and be prepared for potential heart burn sitch. (Cause he's hot… get it??)
Though if Kem had short hair, would he be able to do this?
No, reader, he would not.
Kem is 25 years old. His birthday is 25 April and he was born in 1996.
Kem is not like every other hairstylist in Essex; as well as doing the odd bit of modelling, he is also responsible for some of the best haircuts in showbiz. Before going into the villa he claimed, "I've done hair for Spencer Matthews, Calum Best, and the TOWIE boys, Pete Wicks, Arg, the standard guys. I get on well with them. I do look at the way girls react to them and I do think, 'I wouldn't mind a bit of that!'".
Kem has since starred on Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Masterchef. He has also started presenting on This Morning and he hosts Love Island's The Morning After podcast.
During their time in the villa they were like Romeo and Juliet 2.0. Kem gave Amber an adorable string bracelet to show his love and Ambz even hid a scented thong in his packing. Awww.
Then Kem asked Amber to be his girlfriend, leaving the cutest trail with everyone's phones and a delicately placed flower tugged from the villa garden next to each one.
However, the couple split in December 2017 (boo), lasting just 6 months outside the sunny climes of the villa.
They may have split four years ago but it appears that they're still on good term because in a recent TikTok he admitted, "We're good mates".
Not one to shy away from the truth, Kem says that people who know just how cheeky he can really be would say, "Be careful because he might bin you after one date".
Riiiight.
Thankfully, Kem explains this is actually a positive thing as "I don't want to waste my time or the girl's time, I can't bring myself to do that" which is kind of sweet and sensible, when you think about it.
He also said, "I don't want to be the macho guy. I'm feminine in a way – I don't mind sitting with a girl doing a face mask and having a gossip".
Apparently the most romantic thing Kem has ever done for a girl is buying her a life-size teddy bear (jel much?).
To take a sneak peak of his six-pack and see some exclusive pictures of Kem hair styling for the male stars of reality TV, find him on Instagram under @kemcetinay and on Twitter at @KemCetinay (You can thank us later).
Love Island contestants 2017 watn – slider
Swipe through to see what all the Love Island 2017 contestants are doing now…
Kem Cetinay
He won the show alongside Amber Davies and although we all thought they were the real-life Gavin & Stacey, it turns out they were not and they split a few months after winning £50,000.
Kem Cetinay
Since leaving the villa, Kem appeared on his spin-off show You Vs. Chris & Kem, he also took part in Dancing on Ice, he apparently got cosy with Love Island 2018 star Kendall Rae-Knight and he released a grime song Little Bit Leave It alongside BFF Chris Hughes.
Amber Davies
Following a rocky time in the villa (remember when Kem returned to the villa from Casa Amor with another girl?) Amber won the show alongside her Essex boyfriend. A few months later they split but still seem to be on fairly good terms.
Amber Davies
After winning Love Island, Amber and Kem hosted Richard Arnold's entertainment section on Good Morning Britain for an entire week. She's also made her West End debut alongside Louise Redknapp in Dolly Parton's musical 9 to 5.
Camilla Thurlow
Camilla was unlucky in love during her time in the Love Island villa. She originally paired up with Sam but when Johnny entered the villa it looked like they were the perfect match. Until their infamous feminist argument and then Tyla entered the villa. Cam had a brief fling with Craig but no one (including her) was quite prepared for dreamy Jamie entering the villa and sweeping her of her feet.
Camilla Thurlow
Camilla was Love Island 2017 runner up and is one of the only couples from this series to remain with her boyfriend. After leaving the villa instead of doing a billion club appearances and sponsored posts on Insta, she went back to her charity work. She's also had her very own one-off documentary What Camilla Did Next.
Jamie Jewitt
He was the Calvin Klein model that swept Camilla off her feet and as a result, the nation fell in love with him. He's pretty fit too, tbh.
Jamie Jewitt
After leaving the villa, Jamie and Camilla are still very much together and appear to have the perfect relationship. They're constantly posting hilarious videos of each other on Instagram and fans saw him make a TV return in Camilla's documentary What Camilla Did Next.
Chris Hughes
Chris had one of the greatest character developments during his time in the villa. Remember just days into the villa when he said "Everyone fancies me in here."Seriously, how confident?!After mugging Chloe off, he became smitten with Olivia but then she mugged him off and got with Mike. Chris didn't give up and he managed to win Olivia over and the pair came third place on the reality show.
Chris Hughes
While Chris was filming his spin-off show with his girlfriend Olivia Attwood he decided to call it quits and viewers got to see the pair come face to face for the first time following their split. Since then, Chris has appeared on This Morning where he got a testicular exam live on TV. Months later he revealed his brother found a lump following his stint on the daytime television show. He was also rumoured to be dating Little Mix's Jesy Nelson and then they were spotted snogging in a kebab shop.
Olivia Attwood
During her time in the villa, Olivia caused a lot of drama; there was that love triangle with Chris Hughes and Mike and we can't forget that time she exploded at Sam and Montana.
Olivia Attwood
Since leaving Love Island, Olivia became an ambassador for In The Style, opened up about her bitter split with Chris on Loose Women, she starred on Celebs Go Dating and reunited with her ex-boyfriend Bradley Dack.
Montana Brown
Montana is not one to settle and she proved that during her time on the ITV show. Despite being on Love Island it took Montana four weeks to get in an actual couple with Alex Beattie.
Montana Brown
Days after leaving the villa, Montana called things off with Alex (bless him) and she's since become an ambassador for Pretty Little Thing, appeared on Celebrity Island alongside Roxanne Pallett, she presented for MTV and was accused of Photoshopping her bum on Instagram.
Alex Beattie
We thought when Alex entered the villa he was The One for Montana but it wasn't meant to last because after they left the villa she broke up with him.
Alex Beattie
Following his time on Love Island Alex has found love with his make-up artist girlfriend Amy Paphitis, has launched his own fitness training programme and shares fit pictures of his abs on Instagram.
Jessica Shears
Jess was the bombshell of Love Island 2017 and she caused a stir from day one when she made it clear she was interested in Dom Lever – who at the time was in a couple with Montana Brown. Following Jess and Dom's first date they hit it off but things came crashing down when the boys voted for Jess to leave the Island.
Jessica Shears
After leaving the villa there was a lot of speculation that something went down with Jess and Mike. She denied it and fast forward a year and she's now married to Dom Lever. Cute.
Dom Lever
Dom started his journey coupled up with Montana but was taken to Jess following their first date. He was devastated when Jess was booted out the villa but nothing quite prepared him for those rumours about Jess and Mike. He stormed out the villa and took his microphone off, it was very dramatic. Then he went to Casa Amor and was dumped from the island after Montana re-coupled up with Alex.
Dom Lever
After leaving the villa, Dom and Jess managed to put all that Mike drama behind them after she said nothing happened. They then had a fake wedding on Good Morning Britain but a year later the pair tied the knot (for real) in a secret ceremony in Mykonos.
Sam Gowland
Sam's time in the villa was interesting. At first he paired up with Camilla then he moved onto Olivia Attwood and then he coupled up with Chloe Crowhurst. The pair were booted from the villa but weeks later Sam got a second chance and re-entered the villa (alongside Mike). He partnered up with Georgia but the pair didn't make it to the final.
Sam Gowland
After leaving the villa Sam and Georgia continue to date but weeks later they split and the Essex star hinted he cheated on her. On Twitter, she wrote: "Would like to confirm that myself and Sam are no longer together. Unfortunately for some men one girl isn't always enough ud83dudc6fud83dudc6fud83dudd7aud83cudffbud83dudc6fud83dudc6f".He has since dating Chloe Ferry and starred on Geordie Shore alongside her.
Georgia Harrison
She was a latecomer on the show and managed to ruffle a few feathers when she coupled up with Kem just hours after he went official with Amber. In Georgia's defence she didn't know they were a couple because she wasn't in the villa at the time. Following that mishap, she partnered up with Sam and the pair continued to see each other after they left the villa.
Georgia Harrison
A month after leaving the villa Georgia revealed on social media that she'd split from Sam and hinted he had cheated on her. Fast forward a year and she started dating Stephen Bear after they met in America while they were filming The Challenge. It wasn't to last and soon after they split.
Marcel Somerville
Ohh Marcel. We'll never forget the first episode of Love Island when he wouldn't stop mentioning he was in the band Blazing Squad. He was given the name Dr Marcel because he advised literally every other person in the villa about their love life. It took a while but when bombshell Gabby Allen entered the villa they fell in love and the pair came fourth in the competition.
Marcel Somerville
After leaving the villa, the pair continued their relationship and all seemed well until he cheated on her while they were on holiday. After the Love Island stars had a row, Gabby reportedly went upstairs to sleep while Marcel apparently chatted to another girl, told her it was over with Gabby and then went on to sleep with her in her hotel room. Gabby and Marcel split and the Blazing Squad star has since admitted he 'regrets' cheating on his ex.
Gabby Allen
Gabby joined the villa alongside Tyne-Lexy and instantly connected with Marcel. They had a brief hiccup during his time in Casa Amor when she saw a picture of him smiling at another girl while they laid in bed together. Luckily they kissed and made up and came fourth in the competition.
Gabby Allen
They were one of the last remaining Love Island 2017 couples but things came to an end when Gabby discovered Marcel had cheating during their holiday. She's continued with staying fit, posts amazing pictures on Instagram and is in a happy relationship with Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson.
Mike Thalassitis
During Mike's time in the villa he made quite the stir when he coupled up with Olivia Attwood. It wasn't to last because the girls voted for him to leave alongside Jessica Shears.
Mike Thalassitis
There were reports something happened between Mike and Jess but they both denied the rumours. He then went back into villa alongside Sam and coupled up with Tyla but the pair didn't make it to the final. Since leaving the villa – for good this time – Mike starred on Celebs Go Dating and dated former TOWIE star Megan McKenna but the pair ended things after seven months together. Mike sadly passed away in March 2018.
Tyla Carr
Tyla was a latecomer on Love Island but she caused Jonny's head to turn and the nation was left devastated when Camilla was left heartbroken by the new couple. Tyla and Jonny hit it off but it wasn't to last because he was booted from the show. She went completely OTT when he was evicted (we'll never forget that dramatic scream she did) but the next day she was ready to move on and she did… to Mike. The pair received the fewest votes by the public and were dumped from the island.
Tyla Carr
A week after leaving the villa Tyla and Mike split up. Yup, that quickly. They were apparently even avoiding each other at the Love Island reunion party. She's since moved on, has welcomed a baby boy into the world and said Love Island is 'staged'.
Theo Campbell
He didn't really find love on the show but Theo was definitely one of the funniest contestants from the Love Island 2017 series. We can't forget that hilarious moment when he told Tyla she should leave the villa too is she's that devastated about Jonny being dumped. We completely agreed with him tbh.
Theo Campbell
Since leaving the villa, he's shared a lot of topless pictures on Instagram, he hinted he'd return to Love Island and slammed the producers for their editing techniques. He told the Daily Star: "They create characters. Everyone pretty much got along, everyone had normal conversations. But they edit it for scenarios to work better."When I left, I thought, 'What did I do wrong?' I didn't do anything wrong. "But the way they edit it, it might look like I was stirring stuff. Viewers didn't know the whole conversation."
Jonny Mitchell
Jonny joined the show and swept Camilla off her feet but the cracks began to show following their feminism row. He then moved on and dated Tyla but when he was dumped from the island she didn't leave with him.
Jonny Mitchell
After leaving the villa, Jonny dated Stephanie Pratt but after three months together the Made in Chelsea star accused him of cheating. The silver lining in the situation was that Steph became friends with her former BFF Lucy Watson again. Jonny has moved on from the reality star and is now engaged to his model girlfriend Danielle Zarb-Cousin.
Craig Lawson
He joined the villa halfway into the journey and after Camilla's tough time with Johnny, Craig seemed like the perfect guy (anyone would tbh). However after he compared himself and Cam to Professor Green and Millie Mackintosh (who had split) she thought things were moving too fast and they called time on their romance.
Craig Lawson
After leaving the villa, Craig has filled his Instagram with pictures of his sons and his tattoos.
Danielle Sellers
One word: Underrated. Danielle was absolutely stunning and we're still annoyed she didn't get to spend more time in the villa. It was a short but sweet stint and unfortunately she didn't find love on the show.
Danielle Sellers
Danielle went on to date I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Jack Maynard but they split shortly after he was booted from the show following his controversial tweets from the past resurfaced.
Chyna Ellis
Viewers first saw Chyna when she entered Casa Amor. She hit it off with Kem (who had a huge row with Amber) and the pair returned to the villa together. However Kem had a change of heart and reunited with Amber and poor Chyna had to leave the villa because she was single.
Chyna Ellis
After leaving the villa behind, she went on to date Jonny but it didn't last long. She then dated Ibiza Weekender co-star Jordan Davies but after they split she slammed his performance in the bedroom, she told The Sun: "The sex with Jordan wasn't that great, I'm not going to lie. Considering he's shagged over 1,500 people which is quite disgusting anyway. I was expecting something a little more." Ouch.
Chloe Crowhurst
Chloe was definitely one of the most entertaining islanders; she stirred the pot and that's what we all want. Days after the series began, TOWIE's Jon Clark accused her of dumping him and ignoring him before going on the ITV show. At first she partnered up with Kem and then re-coupled with Sam but the pair were the dumped from the villa.
Chloe Crowhurst
After leaving Love Island, Chloe reunited with Jon but it didn't work out. She then reportedly dated Harley from the 2018 series but then he pied her off in a brutally public announcement.
Tyne-Lexy Clarson
Tyne-Lexy joined the show alongside Gabby Allen and she managed to turn Kem's head who wouldn't stop talking about her eyes. She went on a date with Mike but he ended up chasing Olivia Attwood. Her time was up when Jonny Mitchell picked Camilla during a recoupling.
Tyne-Lexy Clarson
After leaving the show, Tyne-Lexy and Harley sent everyone into a frenzy following reports that they were dating. She's since documented her weight loss journey on social media and regularly shares stunning pictures on Instagram.
Harley Judge
Harley was one of the original boys in the series and first paired up with Amber. After Amber moved on from Harley to Kem things looked rocky for Harley, especially when Chris Hughes and Johnny Mitchell arrived in the villa. Harley originally planned to couple up with Chloe or Camilla but they both opted for the newbies.He was devastated when he was left alone and burst into tears when he became the first contestant to leave the villa. Bless him.
Harley Judge
After leaving the villa everyone thought Harley and Tyne-Lexy were dating after they were spotted out and about together. He then appeared to reunite with his ex-girlfriend amber Lovett before announcing his new job – working in real estate.
Simon Searles
Simon joined the villa when the rest of the boys were in Casa Amor and it's safe to say he caused a right stir with the ladies. At first he seemed interested in Montana but then he tried to get with Amber behind (Mon's back – rude!). After Simon and Tyla and Amber and Kem were in the bottom after being voted the two least compatible couples, it was up to the rest of the villa to dump one of the islanders and they voted out him out.
Simon Searles
After leaving the villa, he has continued boxing, he's the proud owner of his own barber shop and he's bravely opened up about battling the autoimmune condition Graves disease.
Nathan Joseph
Nathan entered the villa during the 'Casa Amor' period and instantly coupled up with Amber. When the two villas reunited, Amber and Kem got back together and poor Nathan was left single. He then shared a kiss with Danielle but they pair were kicked off the show.
Nathan Joseph
After leaving the villa, Nathan has documented his workout routine and has launched his very own fitness app.
Ellisha-Jade White
Ellisa-Jade was another one who entered the villa during Casa Amor. Her eyes were set on Dom but his heart was still with his now-wife Jess. Ellisha-Jade didn't make it to the main villa and was dumped from the island after a few days.
Ellisha-Jade White
Since leaving the villa she's continued with her blogger lifestyle and is now a digital stylist. You can tell her from glamourous Instagram account.
Amelia Peters
Similar to Ellisha-Jade, Amelia wasn't on Love Island for long after she failed to couple up with any of the boys in Casa Amor.
Amelia Peters
After leaving the villa she's launched her hairdressing career and has shared incredible pictures from her fancy holidays.
Marino Katsouris
Marino entered the villa when the boys were in Casa Amor but unfortunately he didn't find love with any of the ladies.
Marino Katsouris
Nowadays you can see his FIT topless on Instagram pictures and according to his Insta bio he's an online coach.
Rob Lipsett
Rob was gorgeous but after three days he was booted from the island because he didn't find love.
Rob Lipsett
Since leaving the villa he revealed he didn't get a lot of airtime because he wouldn't 'gossip or talk down about people'. Bless him. Days after leaving the villa there were reports that he had coupled up with Shannen (who was also dumped from the island). He has now released his own book, has a Youtube channel and continues to post dreamy snaps on Instagram.
Shannen Reilly McGrath
Another contestant who didn't last long was Shannen however she did spend almost a week with the original boys.
Shannen Reilly McGrath
After leaving the villa there were reports that she was dating Rob but things didn't last long. She's now a brand ambassador for a plastic surgery company.
Steve Ball
Steve was another Love Island star who was, well, unlucky in love. He didn't couple up with any of the girls and was dumped from the villa after a few days.
Steve Ball
Since leaving the villa he's gone on to travel around the world and has shared incredible photos from his time away.
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Kem lets us into a secret that he’s actually quite "clingy" when it comes to the world of dating.
"I fall for girls very easily. It's been my downfall because I make it so obvious when I like a girl”. He fears falling for a girl that may recouple with someone else – “I’d just start crying and going emotional," he says.
Fun dates are the way to go for Kem, as he doesn’t like the conventional dinner dates you have to get all dolled up for. "I like cute things, a nice activity when you can laugh and giggle. My dream date would be going on one of those swans that you pedal in the sea. That would be a laugh".
Well, we're absolutely gutted that the Love Island producers didn't make a magical swan date happen.
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