George Knight has released a statement to explain the reason he left the Love Island 2026 villa, just one day after viewers saw him arrive as a bombshell.

Yesterday, it was confirmed he had quit the show. It was reported he had left the villa, and viewers would not see his exit play out on the show.

A Love Island spokesman confirmed: “For private reasons, George has left the Love Island villa.” A source further told The Sun: “Duty of care for the Islanders is paramount so at this stage any further comment will come from George. Bosses and viewers alike had been loving his contribution.”

George has now explained in a statement that the reason he quit Love Island 2026 was to be with his family. In a post on Instagram, he said: “Family comes first, always. Leaving the Love Island villa was a decision made in order to be with my family. Out of respect for them, I’d prefer not to go into any further detail. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind messages and support! It genuinely means a lot.”

He shared a picture with his sister Emma and their dog, and his sister added a comment which said: “Love you George.”

George was the first bombshell on the show this year, entering alongside Yasmin. When they arrived, the pair were told by host Maya Jama that they had a secret mission – in just 24 hours time, they would have to dump a boy and a girl, for whatever reason they wanted.

They chose to dump Ellie and Samraj, but it wasn’t what it seemed. The pair were given a second chance at staying in the villa.