Sadly, last year’s Love Island Australia winners Mitch and Tina didn’t make it to the final this year and were dumped in tonight’s episode.
The couple entered the villa as bombshells and, after trying to connect with other islanders, ended up rekindling their connection that we saw in last year’s season.
New Idea spoke to Tina after she had left the villa to ask all of the burning questions, including if she is still seeing partner Mitch.
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How did you feel about being dumped from the Love Island Australia 2022 villa?
I think it’s so hard because obviously, you’re having like the time of your life but it definitely did feel like the right time for Mitch and I to leave the villa.
We have a life beyond that Love Island bubble because it definitely does feel like your whole world in there.
Have you and Mitch continued your relationship outside of the villa since leaving?
So from the time that we left the villa, Mitch and I have continued to see how things are going and he’s come to Sydney and I’ve gone to Melbourne.
We were definitely trying to see where things can go because you know, it’s so different in Love Island day to day, especially when you are long distance.
So we’re not seeing each other anymore. I think Mitch and I have always been in each other’s lives and still remained friends. There’s no bad blood between us or anything at all. So I think in that sense, you know, never say never but for this time, I think the chapters definitely closed.
WATCH: Love Island Australia | Tina and Mitch discuss their relationship (Article continues after video)
Being one of the only contestants to experience Love Island twice, how would you compare your experience this year to your experience last year?
I think I was definitely running with a different kind of high.
Like I said, you’re in that Love Island bubble and all of your emotions and stuff are kind of like in this like pressure cooker. So I feel like experiencing everything for the first time there’s definitely magic about it and leaving with Mitch, where we’re in the final. We’re definitely riding a high.
But I feel like this time around, it’s still been such an amazing experience and certainly with someone that, you know, I do genuinely care about and I still really care about, I couldn’t be more thankful to have that journey. The chances of meeting someone you care about, like a pretty low. And even though I did leave with the person I left with last time, I wouldn’t change anything.
If Mitch wasn’t in the villa this year, is there anyone else you think you could have built a strong connection with?
When I first came in I was speaking to Callum and I feel like we did have a bit of a connection but I think Callum is a bit too much of a party boy and a ladies’ man for me, so I don’t actually know if that would have gone anywhere.
How would you compare this year’s Islanders to last year’s Islanders?
I don’t think I could pick favourites.
I feel like everybody wore their heart on their sleeve and was just being 100% of themselves. And we were lucky this year that everybody in there was just so genuine, so lovely, and also just so funny. We had so much fun in there.
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What was your biggest challenge this year and your biggest highlight?
I guess the biggest challenge was trying to figure out what the best person would be for me. But ultimately, I think, I tried to go in with like, the same confidence that I had last year and try to be myself because at the end of the day, like, that’s all you can really do.
The biggest highlight that I felt was literally just walking back into the villa because it just brought back so many positive memories from my journey last year, and I never thought that I would get to experience the love Island villa again.
If you had the chance to start your Love Island Journey again, would you do anything differently?
I would honestly not change a single thing. I’m always someone that likes to stick to my guns and even this time around, there’s nothing that would change. I think I did try to find a connection, I tried to try something new, but I couldn’t help but feel drawn to Mitch and I think we do really care about each other.
Who would you like to see win Love Island Australia 2022?
Oh my god. I think it’s definitely close. Between Phoebe and Mitch and Claudia and Austin. I love them both so much that it’s so hard for me to stay, I think based on how mushy and cute they are often Claudia and Austin are just romantic, like they are just a living, breathing fairy tale. So at this point, it looks like they’re gonna win, I think.
