The Love Island 2022 Reunion is *finally* here, with this year's contestants coming together for the first time since leaving the villa. Finalists Ekin-Su and Davide, Gemma and Luca, Indiyah and Dami, and Tasha and Andrew reunited for chats with host Laura Whitmore alongside the rest of the season's dumped Islanders.

However, there's one face that appeared to be missing from the Reunion episode, and that's Jacques O'Neill, with the rugby player making the decision to quit the show earlier in the series.

Opening up about his choice to leave, Jacques told Paige at the time, "I just wish I could finish my journey here with you, but I'm gonna go home today. The only way I'm going to get back to myself is going home," with Paige going on to forge a connection with Adam Collard.

Still, fans were quick to notice Jacques' absence from Reunion, with many questioning why he was missing from the show.

ITV

Sharing details on the Reunion, a source told The Sun, "Everybody is getting together for a huge party tonight in London. ITV has put everyone up in a hotel so there’s no need for anyone to miss out."

The insider went on, "Unfortunately Jacques has decided he’s just not ready to see Paige quite yet and especially not with Adam. He’s made the decision to wait for a more suitable moment to talk to her again after everything he’s been through."

During the Reunion episode, Luca opened up about Jacques' absence, saying he's "gutted" Jacques couldn't be there, telling viewers that the rugby player seemed "much happier" when the pair last spoke on FaceTime.

Here's hoping Jacques is doing OK.

We have reached out to Jacques' reps and ITV for comment.

Related Story

Former Editorial Assistant/Junior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer

Emily Gulla was Cosmopolitan UK’s Former Editorial Assistant/Junior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer, covering celebs, TV and film for the site, magazine and video. She’s interviewed the casts of your favourite TV shows, from Bridgerton to Derry Girls and Stranger Things, as well as dozens of Love Islanders. She also loves getting stuck into long-read features, writing on all things digital culture (including her favourite topic: memes), and dating - having appeared on the radio to discuss dating.

Emily's work has also been published on ELLE, Women's Health, Harper's Bazaar, Digital Spy and more. She holds a First Class degree in English with Film Studies from King's College London, and even wrote her dissertation on Love Island. You can find Emily on Instagram and LinkedIn, and can see more of her work on her website. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLvSpqapp5yewaK6jZympmeloHymutOeqa2ZmaO6prrTaJhtaGhnhHqAlmijqK6VYra0uMCnm2avmK56qr%2FNrWSjmZOmwqa%2FjKilnqGcoXqiwIyrnK6mmaS7cA%3D%3D