Love Island has reacted to Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan’s emergence as winners of Winter Love Island 2023. During the emotional Monday night finale of Winter Love Island 2023, PE teacher Kai Fagan and social worker Sanam Harrinanan made history after they emerged as winners. The duo’s triumph is the first time in history that a Casa Amor contestant will go on to win the show.
After meeting during the dreaded Casa Amor challenge, Sanam completely steals Kai’s heart. Although they faced some pushback from Kai’s ex Olivia Hawkins, Kai never looked back, and the couple’s relationship blossomed with each passing day. The finale also saw Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins finish in second place. Tom Clare and Samie Elishi came in third, while Shaq Muhammad and Tanya Manhenga placed fourth during the live final in South Africa.
However, just before announcing the winners, the finalists sat for an interview with host Maya Jama and “Kanam,” as viewers call them, showcased why fans love them so much. During the chat, a heartwarming moment occurred when Sanam accidentally dropped the “L” word while answering a question about Kai. That moment marked a special last few weeks for Kai and Sanam. Fans now expect Kai and Sanam to carry on their romance outside the villa with the help of the £50,000 prize money.
Winter Love Island Fans Think Kai and Sanam Are Worthy Winners
Immediately after the finale, Love Island fans took to social media to react to the announcement of Kai and Sanam as the winners of Winter Love Island 2023. On Reddit, u/aimhighsquatlow shared a screenshot of a picture of Kai and Sanam from the official Instagram page of Love Island, announcing the duo as the winners. The OP captioned the photo, writing, “Our Winners!!!” Many of the show’s viewers took to the comment section to congratulate the duo on their win while asserting that the two are worthy winners. u/Sweaty_Chance1408 wrote,
“The best possible outcome, imo. Their lifestyles match up perfectly, they genuinely seem into each other, and their final speeches were touching, deserved winners.”
Many users also expressed their admiration for Kai on how he chose to stick with Sanam even though no Casa Amor contestant had previously won the show. The users agreed that the couple’s win might motivate more couples to follow their hearts in the future rather than making permutations. The fans also lauded Kai for how he handled the situation with Olivia Hawkins after recoupling with Sanam. One fan, u/Some_Entrepreneur_98, noted,
“The way he handled Olivia with his calmness and not trying to get dragged into the mess was commendable. Hopefully, it shows future islanders that you can be graceful and mature and still win the series.”
Winter Love Island Fans Wished There Was a Steal or Split
This Winter Love Island season will rank up amongst the franchise’s most dramatic. The ITV2 series features many rows, turbulent relationships, and everything in between. It seemed like a fitting end to the season when fan favorites Kai and Sanam were announced as the winners. However, some of the show’s fans were still spoiling for more drama as they queried a change in the series format.
The disappointed fans took to Twitter to air their frustrations about the exclusion of “steal or split” from the finals. The fans affirmed that it was a crucial part of the final, and they would love to have it back on the show.“Steal or Split” usually sees both winners presented with an envelope — one empty and one containing the £50,000 prize. Whoever gets the envelope with the money is then asked if they want to “steal it” or “split” with their partner.
The couples have always agreed to share the money throughout the show’s history. Last year, former host Laura Whitmore confirmed that the couples wouldn’t have that option and would now automatically share the prize money. However, some fans are now calling for its reintroduction, hoping they will finally get to see a contestant steal the money.
