Gabby’s journey on Love Island Australia took an unexpected turn, leading to a brief but meaningful connection with new Bombshell Josh and a dramatic, self-aware exit from the villa.
After a rollercoaster season filled with dramatic confrontations and shifting alliances, Gabby McCarthy, the first Bombshell to enter the Love Island Australia villa, formed a new bond with latecomer Josh. Despite her short time with him, Gabby spoke positively about their potential. This connection came just before she made a stunning personal decision, voluntarily leaving the show in a move that shocked her fellow Islanders and viewers.
The Brief but Promising Connection with Josh
The pairing happened after a major shake-up in the villa. Following a tumultuous relationship with her ex, Jotham, and a brief coupling with Dylan that she later called a “regret,” Gabby found herself with new Bombshell Josh. During Episode 27, the two had a private chat away from the other Islanders.
In that conversation, Josh told Gabby he was happy with his choice to be with her, saying their earlier talks felt easy and natural. Gabby agreed, sharing her optimism about their new partnership in a private confessional.
“Despite just being coupled up, I’m super optimistic that we can build something. He’s such a sweetie. Such a gentleman and yet he’s like, super easy on the eye,” Gabby told the cameras.
She described the intense 24-hour period in the villa as a complete turnaround for her, from wanting to go home to feeling happy with her new situation.
The Dramatic Decision to Leave the Villa
Gabby’s optimism with Josh was soon tested. In the episode that aired on December 10, the Islanders were told one couple would be leaving by a group vote. In a dramatic moment at the firepit, Gabby stood up and stopped the vote.
She announced she would leave the villa herself so the other couples could stay. Because they were paired, this decision meant Josh was automatically dumped from the competition as well. Reflecting on her choice afterwards, Gabby said it had been “definitely brewing” and that she felt the other couples deserved to be in the finale more than she did.
Her exit speech was directed largely at Jotham, her ex in the villa.
“Jotham, you are the biggest part of my journey in here. I did have super genuine feelings for you, and at one point I was genuinely falling for you,” she said during the emotional moment.
She added, “My Love Island journey definitely came to an end when you walked through the doors after Hotel Amor… and it’s been a struggle since then”.
In a later chat with Islander Yana, Gabby admitted, “Everything with Jotham genuinely crushed my heart my soul”.
Personal Growth and Lasting Friendships
In interviews after her exit, the 21-year-old focused less on romance and more on the personal revelations she experienced in the villa. She described the intense environment as a catalyst for significant self-reflection.
“I think spending so much time with yourself and your thoughts and your emotions, my feelings, was like, wow. I have a lot to work on. Like, I have a lot of like underlying things from my past or my childhood,” Gabby shared.
She stated, “I think I’ve really become a lot more self-aware since the experience”.
She expressed deep gratitude for the female friendships she made, calling them a “trauma bond that we’ll have for life”. She named Yana, Tamara, Sharn, and Izzy as part of her core group of five friends from the show with whom she remains “super close”. Among the male Islanders, she said she is “really close with Kye,” and also remains friends with Mick and Connor.
When asked if she would ever return to Love Island, Gabby was clear: “I would definitely go back and do it all again”.
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Context of Her Villa Journey and Public Reaction
Gabby entered the villa as the very first Bombshell in Episode 1 and quickly became a central figure in the season’s drama. Her initial strong connection with Jotham fell apart after he returned from “Hotel Amor” with a new girl, Jaide, leaving Gabby feeling “blindsided”.
The fallout was explosive, featuring fiery confrontations at the firepit. Gabby later admitted she has not stayed in contact with Jotham and does not plan to, laughing as she said, “I wouldn’t be friends with an ex on the outside”.
Her departure made television headlines, with the episode drawing a BVOD National Average Audience of 330,000 viewers for Channel Nine. Beyond the on-screen drama, Gabby has also spoken publicly about the difficulty of facing commentary about her body and personal life from viewers online, revealing a past long-term struggle with an eating disorder and issues with body image.
Despite the challenges, her final act in the villa was one of agency. She took control of her own exit, and in doing so, allowed the remaining ten Islanders to continue their journey. Her story shifted from a search for romantic love to a narrative of self-discovery and forging unbreakable friendships.
Also Read: Tamara Opens Up About Love Island Exit: “It Just Hadn’t Worked Out”
