The Love Island All Stars 2026 villa is set for a dramatic return as fan-favourite contestant Helena Ford makes a surprise comeback. The 29-year-old Londoner, who only left the show in the summer of 2025, is heading back to the iconic villa for a second shot at finding lasting love.
Who Is Helena Ford? Age, Job, and Hometown
Helena Ford is a 29-year-old from London, ready to find her perfect partner. Before finding fame on reality TV, she worked as cabin crew, a job that took her to glamorous destinations like Dubai, Lake Como, and Monaco. In a twist of fate, she was actually scouted by Love Island producers while working on a flight.
Since her initial stint on the show, Helena has not returned to her airline job. Instead, she has focused all her energy on building a career as a social media influencer.
Helena's Love Island History and Villa Antics
Helena originally appeared on Love Island's 2025 season 12. Her time in the villa was memorable, to say the least. She became famous for several reasons:
- Her hideaway antics.
- Her exhausting and dramatic relationship with fellow islander Harry Cooksley.
- Her close friendship with Megan Moore.
- Being at the centre of major fall-outs with female contestants including Shakira Khan, Yasmine Pettet, and Toni Laites.
During her series, she was coupled up with Harry Cooksley, Harrison Solomon, and Shea Mannings. Her connection with Harry was particularly intense, making it a crushing blow when he eventually chose Shakira Khan over her, despite having gone exclusive with Helena.
What Does Helena Want from All Stars 2026?
Speaking ahead of her return, Helena admitted her dating life got worse after leaving the villa, leading her to take a complete break from romance. She stated, "[My dating life] got worse! When I first came out of the villa I was like, 'I need a break'. So I haven't really been speaking to anyone. I want to find a boyfriend this time!"
While she joked about wanting to say 'new year, new me', she was candid about her tendencies, teasing, "hopefully you'll see me getting with an actual nice boy. But I know what I'm like and I get bored easily. If they're not being a menace, I'll start being a menace."
Her goal for Love Island All Stars is clear: she hopes to leave the villa with a genuine boyfriend, proving that it can be second time lucky in the search for love.
