As the first couple made in the 2021 series of Love Island, viewers were thrilled when the pair actually seemed compatible and only had eyes for each other. For the first few weeks of the series, we were all watching and wishing for what they had. However, as the weeks went on we all began to realise that we probably had once had a relationship like Liberty and Jake’s. The relationship that left you feeling insecure and heartbroken by someone who definitely didn’t deserve your love. The relationship your friends encouraged you to leave because they could see what you didn’t want to see. The relationship you could’ve done without but probably made you tougher in the end. Somehow Jiberty managed to cover all that in the space of eight weeks. So how did Love Island 2021’s power couple end up falling apart just days before the final?
Love at first sight?
On paper, they were perfect; in real life Liberty and Jake seemed even better together, from looks to personalities the pair seemed the most compatible in the villa. Liberty was a complete gem from start to finish; the ultimate girls girl, remaining true to herself and staying loyal to Jake throughout. From the first week in the villa fans were calling to protect Liberty at all costs, even though at that point we didn’t realise how much she’d need it. Jake however seemed to have some slightly slimy tendencies from the start, repeatedly telling Liberty that he would get to know other blonde girls who entered the villa. Liberty eventually told Jake she wouldn’t sit by and let him string her along only to ditch when someone new and exciting entered.
From there the couple seemed to grow stronger and stronger, with Jake asking Liberty to be his girlfriend just days before the boys were sent to Casa Amor. Upon asking her out, Jake gave Liberty a bracelet that he had brought in with him for the right girl. The bracelet, which was magnetic to connect with Jake’s matching one, was a cute gesture that would certainly have made my stomach do somersaults! This gesture clearly meant a lot to Liberty, as she told Jake she loved him on the spot – he didn’t feel ready to say it back though (awkward!).
Loyalty is everything… or is it?
When the boys left for Casa Amor, both Jake and Liberty remained loyal, with Jake sleeping on the day bed with Teddy, and Liberty sleeping on the sofa with Kaz and Abi. However, it was here that Jake’s true colours began to show through, with viewers accusing him of intentionally sabotaging the other couples by encouraging the boys to crack on with Casa Amor girls. Jake placed a lot of emphasis on his and Liberty’s relationship status, making it clear that if they weren’t yet boyfriend and girlfriend, he would have cracked on with the blonde girls at Casa Amor. Jake really was the ringleader in the downfall of multiple relationships, with viewers claiming it was so that him and Liberty would seem stronger. His plan clearly didn’t work given that three of the four couples now in the final are boys who Jake encouraged to get to know Casa Amor girls.
Movie night madness!
For the first week after Casa Amor, Jiberty were thriving. Then movie night hit, and a video was shown of Jake questioning how attracted he actually was to Liberty, which is obviously every girl’s worst nightmare! Things only got worse when it became clear that Jake had been pulling the strings at Casa Amor, leaving Liberty questioning just how pure his intentions were given that he’d also been doubting how attractive she was. This cued Jake’s famous, ‘but Lib you’re my gurlfren’ reaction any time she felt insecure about their relationship. It didn’t help that he never complimented her when he’d say this, just simply remind her that he’d chosen her as his girlfriend.
Love or lies?
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Liberty’s insecurities had only grown, as it became clearer that not only did the public doubt Jake’s intentions, but so did her fellow islanders. This all came to fruition when she pulled Jake for a chat on the terrace, and asked him to tell her exactly where his head was at, given that she had already said she loved him weeks before. Jake then decided to blurt out that he loved her too. This is where I really began to feel for Liberty, because it seemed like Jake was using love as a get out of jail free card. If you’ve ever been in a relationship where someone told you they loved you when they didn’t then you’ll understand just how damaging this must have been for Liberty as it became clearer that he didn’t actually love her.
As Liberty ran down to tell the girls that he did love her, her hope for their relationship was shattered as the girls seemed doubtful of Jake’s intentions. This led to some intense conversations between Jake, Chloe and Faye, as they explained to him that he didn’t seem as into Liberty as he made out. For the next week Jiberty’s relationship was a rollercoaster, which ended with an overwhelmed Liberty ending things with Jake as she realised that he simply wasn’t into her. Jake didn’t try to fight for her, although he did attempt to manipulate the things she was saying had happened. Liberty remained strong, as she told Jake and the girls that although she hadn’t found love in Jake, she had found a lot of self-love as well as friendship.
All good things must come to an end
Jake and Liberty both decided on their final date that they would leave the villa that afternoon, because there was no point in them being in the villa after deciding to split up. While their journey in the villa has certainly been an emotional rollercoaster, it’s clear how much Liberty has grown from her Love Island journey. Not only is she leaving with a lot of self-love and multiple brand deals, but she’s also leaving with the sweetest friendship with Kaz. Who needs boys when you can have your besties?
