LUKE JENKINS (cismale, he/him, miles nazaire) is 25 and a DRY LINER from ESSEX, ENGLAND. they are known as THE LAD because they are CHEEKY but if things kick off, they can be a bit EMOTIONAL. they’re BISEXUAL and describe their type as someone that’s smaller than him, doesn’t take themselves seriously, fun to talk to. from their time in the villa, they’re hoping to find LOVE. (aesthetics: drawing smiley faces on mirrors with lipstick, walking on tiptoes around taller guys, hearty laughs heard from outside the room, rolling up his shorts to make them shorter, starting chants out of nowhere)
first impression: typical lad you find at the pub after work, bit full on at first, he’s short (5′8 and a half), strong essex accent, probably can tell that what you see is what you get, no layers whatsoever.
personality: always cracking jokes, usually at his own expense, likes to make people laugh but can get carried away, doesn’t think before he speaks, has gotten away with things easily so has never really learned, very family orientated, simple, just here for a good time, not judgemental, too forgiving, pretty insecure, gets threatened and jealous easily, can be hot headed, distracted by anything and everything
background: comes from a loving family. two mums, two sisters and a younger brother. him and his brothers are both dry liners, got into it because of their neighbour who are all dry liners, and he loves it. still lives at home with his mums in a small town in essex where everyone knows each other. has a good relationship with his birth dad, learned french for him and they facetime regularly, hoping like to visit them in guadeloupe at some point
romantic history: been in two relationships. the last one went on for four years, on and off, broke up last year, they both cheated on each other, he was big sad for a while, tried to move on, nothing really stuck, but he definitely did try a lot, he can be quite intense from the get go which he knows is a problem, falls hard and fast but falls out just as quick
reason for coming on the show: mates dared him to do it and he thought why not? wanted to try something new, spice up his life a bit, and got curious to see if love island actually works. fame and money isn’t really important to him, he’d happily go on the show if there were 5 viewers, but he tends to be competitive so wants to last longer than two seconds.
Whatever she had been expecting him to say certainly hadn’t been that. Especially because everyone seemed to have been involved in it, they didn’t really think about what it could be but, well, obviously not that. “Oh.” Romi pauses. “…and you wanted to take me to see that?”
“ nah! nah, nah, nah. sorry, it’s actually not how it sounds. right, context. you know, cameras off and all that. everyone decides to make a run for the beach but we needed someone to distract the producers. marcus and nana are up for it. so plan was for them to-- ” well, fuck. but romi’s expression makes it hard for him to say that, “ --kiss. not gonna lie, i didn’t think they’d actually go through with it, but before i ran into you i, uh, yeah i saw them and, yeah, everyone was gone so ... ” he winces slightly, unsure of how she’ll take it.
“Uh, no.” The confused expression returns to their face because for the most part Romi had been ignoring everyone else, too preoccupied with getting that phone call with their dad. “Luke, what’s going on?”
it’s crazy how an idea can seem funny at the time but when it actually happens it sucks. “ alright, so basically ... ” he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. he feels guilty, for laughing about it at the time, and really doesn’t want to be the one to tell her but he feels like she should know. maybe it’d be better to find out this way then in front of everyone else. how should he word this? “ marcus and nana are necking it on with each other. ” not like that.
charlotte watched with a mixture of confusion and interest before luke’s joke landed and she offered a good natured laugh. “luke, baby, two things — not all of us are gonna jump at the first sign of trouble, and one date does not trouble make.” she shook her head, grinning wide. “how’d your date go, darlin’? need me to prep a cushion for you?”
“ aw, c’mon, charlotte. don’t be mean. ” a guilty laugh bubbles from his lips -- has he been that easy to read? “ nah, nah, no cushion for me, thanks. the date was good though, so maybe fluff it up a bit just in case. ” he grins playfully. “ enzo leaving is a little bit mad though, init? you alright? ”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Romi raises their brows at him and for a second wonders if something has happened related to the people he tends to interact with. “Uh…alright.” Mostly they’re confused but they like Luke enough to follow his lead.
once they’re out of the villa and on the way to the beach, luke realises that actually someone might have told romi about the whole thing whilst he was talking to his dad and it’s all fine. so he asks, slightly more relaxed than a few moments ago, “ someone told you about the beach plan, yeah? ”
“ LIFT MORE, ” he laughs. “ you’re the fucking worst. ” except it’s said in that affectionate boy way that guys do. still, josh grabs a heavier weight just in case. “ i don’t know, why not, right ? the whole point of new people being in here is to see if you’re better off with someone else. if you want to get to know someone else, you should give it a shot. just be honest with mimi about it. ” although mimi will probably be crazy about it either way, josh thinks.
“ grab that weight all you want, mate. but at the end of the day, who lifts everyone’s spirits up? ” he points a finger towards his own chest and mouths ‘me’. his laugh slowly trails off and he ends with a sigh. “ yeah, yeah, i know but like ... do i want to get to know him, or do i want to get to know him? ” he says and hopes josh knows what he means. there’s obviously a clear distinction between the two.
They’re barely thinking about making their way outside after hearing all the commotion but not knowing exactly what it was all about. Luke’s reaction surprises them but not enough to be suspicious. “Uh, yeah. I was just talking to my dad.” She gives him a funny look. “Are you okay? You looked like you were trying to get somewhere pretty quick.”
“ sick, sick ... sick. ” he nods excessively. “ yeah, no, i’m sweet. uh-- ” he quickly looks over his shoulder. “ everyone’s made a runner for the beach. we should go, like now. ”
that was not what he expected to see after finishing his phone call. he immediately turns round, heading back inside the villa, not wanting to miss the window to escape. making an abrupt turn, he almost runs into romi. “ oh shit, hey-- ” hands are placed on her shoulders, and for some reason he looks like the guilty one. “ uh, you alright? ” @romistav
“If you ask me, our version of the story is heaps cooler,” he points out with a a boyish grin that’s been plastered on his features since the date started. So far, it’s been going exactly how he hoped it would go. “Become good friends.” He immediately finishes off the tune, chuckling lightly. “My control was hanging on by a thread there. The song’s going to be stuck in my head all day now,” he adds. “Hm.” There’s a pause for dramatic effect. “Don’t tell anyone that’s what it is. Keep it between us.” He’s always been a playful person, and he appreciates someone who can match his banter. “I teach surfing and swimming and I’m also a bartender at night. Pretty much been swimming and surfing my whole life. Can’t imagine not doing them. What about you?”
“ yeah, kids would prefer it way more if cinderella was about thongs, ” he jokes, and maybe he’s laughing a little too loud. the urge to look over his shoulder to see if mimi is watching grows bigger by the second, and the only thing stopping him is not wanting to feel stupid if she’s nowhere to be seen. “ oi, nah, stop-- whenever i see you around now, it’s gonna pop into my head. ” he picks up the fork and knife because he’s actually pretty hungry, but before he digs in he points the knife at dylan, “ but we’re not gonna be friends, are we? ” a cheeky smile slowly curls his lips. “ don’t worry, i’m sick at keeping secrets. ” it’s a selective skill. “ you don’t beat the stereotypes, do ya? nah, that’s sick though. have you ever seen a shark? ” luke thinks he could beat a shark in a fight. “ me? i’m a model, ” he says with a straight face.
– “GIVE THEM TIME,” NAOMI SIGHS,“ i’m sure if things work out, they’ll come around. but josh told me she started some big jealous fight with him in the kitchen yesterday, so clearly things still need to settle. ” she flashes luke a pointed look. “ my friend from home, ” naomi will neglect to tell her that said friend thinks luke is ‘super hot’ and wants to be set up with him when they get out. luke’s ego doesn’t need that. “ yeah, she said josh is hot, but trouble. twitter’s been shipping him and romi or whatever, ” naomi rolls her eyes.
why are they not already around? he wants to protest, but something else catches his attention. “ some what? ” a short, incredulous chuckle escapes him. “ what does that even mean? ” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. a rush of restlessness overcomes him, stretching from the balls of his feet to the tips of his fingers. “ your friend? ” he can’t help but sound surprised. he’d assumed everyone would call someone from their family. “ no way, that’s mad. must just be from that challenge or whatever, right? they’re just mates, init. why did she say he was trouble? ” it’s crazy how wrong people on the outside get it!
– “I’M NOT THAT SCARED,” she says, stepping down from the bench with her arms crossed. “ its just gross. you’re going to get a weird disease if you keep playing with bugs. that would be a sad way to get sent packing. ”
he scoffs. “ not that scared? you were about to jump off! ” he retracts his hand in a ‘fine then’ manner. “ be nice to spiders, you know. they eat all the bugs for you. and worst case scenario, yeah, i’ll get bit by one and start dangling from the ceiling upside down. then every bombshell would put it on me after that. oh, speaking of ... ” he peers over the railing. “ what’d you think of the twins? ”
– “YEAH, JUST WAIT. it’s going to bite you and give you weird hives and then you’ll wish you listened to me and just squashed it, ” she says, apprehensively clinging to the railing. “ i have seen enough, thank you. ”
“ you are so dramatic. ” makes sense she’s a model. kind of? maybe? he lets the spider go into one of the plants. “ get down from there, you muppet, ” he says, holding out his hand. “ sorry, i didn’t know you were that scared of them. ”
– “YOU ARE SO NOT SNEAKY,” she hisses, grip probably a tad harder than it needs to be when she tugs him down the left hallway. she rolls her eyes, “ uhhhhh….no shit. she’s been throwing hands with someone since she walked in here. and i think she might also be in on some kind of pyramid scheme ? the fuck kind of cosmetics does she sell ? don’t actually answer that. but you can’t have seriously thought your parents were gonna take to her immediately. ”
“ ow! ” maybe it’s because he didn’t expect it but it felt like a pretty hard yank. he didn’t know naomi’s skinny arms had that kind of power. although naomi’s reaction etched a dent between his brows, the pyramid scheme comment makes a reluctant laugh slip out of him. lips part to answer her question then closes when she tells him not to. “ but why not though? i thought they’d be, like, well gassed i'm cracking on with her. who did you call? did you ask about josh? ”
“ IT IS, ACTUALLY. but it’s fine, i don’t think it’ll happen again, ” josh smirks, grabbing some weights as well. “ i’m taller than him, i’m pretty sure. but yeah, you gotta crane your neck to look up at us for sure. ” thinking about luke looking up at nana makes him laugh. “ but hey, that’s cool. are you looking to get to know either of them better ? ”
“ where did they find you? ” he snorts, shaking his head with a roll of the eyes. “ yeah, but i bet i lift more than both of you. combined. ” considering josh is a personal trainer, probably not. “ um ... well, i don’t think it’s like that with nana but dylan ... i really don’t know, mate. what do you think i should do? ”
“ SO YOU GUYS ARE CLOSE ? ” she smiles, feeling a pang in her chest for luke being away from them. “ i know how you feel. i lived in america for a few years, and missed my family like crazy. but hey, it’s not forever. ” though callie has no doubt that luke isn’t going anywhere in this show. his staring makes her wonder if he’s trying to hit on her or not, and is just doing some poor job at it. she makes a mental note to bring it up to dylan later. “ yeah, it’s just us, so we’re close. ” they’d have to be close to go on this show together, callie reckons. “ no ! ” she’s quick to discount with a laugh, shaking her head. “ no, i’m glad to hear that. it’s sorta like being in summer camp here—sexy summer camp, ” callie grins. “ i’m not surprised everyone bonds. but thanks, i appreciate the vote of confidence. oh, i don’t know. it still seems a little early to tell yet. ” a pause. “ do you think either romi or marcus can get their heads turned at this stage ? how close are you to either of them ? ”
“ yeah, proper. both my mums come from big families too, so it can get a bit mad sometimes. ” there’s a fondness to his smile. “ did ya? what were you doing there? ” he’s pretty sure america and australia are on the opposite sides of the map, which must mean they’re super far from each other. “ what made you guys come on the show together? ” her reaction makes him laugh, or maybe it’s just the accent. “ sexy summer camp, yeah. you’ll fit right in like, as well as a shrimp on the barbie, ” he gives it a crack at the australian accent, which is obviously terrible and exaggerated. “ oooh, romi and marcus? shit, you’re not fucking around. like, yeah, i’m pretty close to them, but like ... ” he thinks for a moment. “ i mean, potentially! not gonna lie, that’d be a hard one to crack but pull ‘em for a chat. one-on-one conversations can change everything, do you know what i mean? so you just gotta go for it. can’t waste any time around here. ” then an idea pops into his head. “ do you want me to wingman you? ”
just going for a piss, he tells one of the producers with his hands up as he follows naomi to the bathroom, several steps behind. once he’s within earshot, however, he speaks to her in french with a slightly awkward accent, “ don’t look back. ” he looks over his shoulder once to check he’s in the clear. “ i asked my dad about mimi. he doesn’t like her. ” @heatwayve
– NAOMI SCREAMS AND JUMPS OUT OF THE WAY. “ ew, oh my god ! ” she’s scrambled to the top of the booths on the terrace in an attempt to get away. she is so not about nature. “ what the hell is that ? kill it ! ”
he erupts with laughter. poor sound guy. “ what the fuck, kill it?! you absolute psycho, no. ” he gently cradles the spider in his hands. “ oh my god, just come down and look at it. he’s not gonna kill you -- he’s cute! ”
