Love Island’s Helena shares plans for romantic date with very unlikely Islander(Image: ITV)

Love Island contestant Helena Ford has spoken for the first time since being dumped from the villa, confirming she intends to remain friends with former partner Harry Cooksley and has even made plans for a double date with him, Meg and Dejon once filming is over.

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Helena was eliminated on Thursday night alongside Blu, with whom she was in a friendship couple. The exit followed a turbulent few weeks in which she and Harry went exclusive before he ended their relationship to pursue fellow Islander Shakira Khan.

Despite the breakup, Helena said she wanted to maintain a friendship with Harry. It comes after there was even more chaos in the villa as another couple was dumped just moments after a romantic final date.

“I don’t regret saying we would be friends because I was accepting of the situation and starting to move on from it,” she said in her exit interview. “The main thing for me wasn’t losing the relationship, it was losing our friendship as we had such a great connection. I wanted to still be around him and not avoid him.”

Helena explained she believed the dynamic between them would improve away from the pressures of the villa.

“Without the pressure of being in the Villa and seeing each other on the outside, we will be friends. Me, Meg, D and him had already made plans to do things as a four. We have so many similarities, which was why we got on in the first place.”

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Helena and Blu were dumped from the island on Thursday night(Image: ITV)

She also addressed the backlash Harry has faced from viewers over his handling of the situation.

“Actions will always have consequences but I would still back him in some situations as he is remorseful,” she said. “I don’t think he is a bad person, I just don’t think he knows how to handle certain things.”

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Helena’s softer side was highlighted during her on‑screen exit when, after hugging her fellow Islanders, she offered Harry a short but notable parting message. “Look after Shakira,” she told him.

The gesture came despite previous tensions between Helena and Shakira, as well as an ongoing feud between Shakira and Helena’s friend Meg, which has been described as one of the “biggest feuds in Love Island history.”

Fans have been commenting on Harry’s decision(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)

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Harry had admitted to still having feelings for Shakira even while exclusive with Helena, which contributed to the breakdown of their relationship inside the villa.

Helena’s comment was praised by some viewers on social media for showing grace in a difficult moment.

“Whatever you think of Helena, her walking out by saying to Harry ‘be good to Shakira’ is lovely. She’s not the mean girl a lot of people try to make her out to be,” one fan wrote on X.