Spoilers for the Love Island Australia 2023 finale ahead.
As 2023 comes to a close, so too does the latest season of Love Island Australia. This season has seen us move through a few tumultuous 'eras' — we've seen love blossom between some islanders, and crash and burn for others along the way. During the finale tonight, the winners for 2023 were finally crowned: Tyra and Kale!
Ahead of the finale, Tyra took to Instagram to express her thanks for the experience, adding, "to a very special boy I met along the way - falling in love with you has been pure magic". In a similar post, Kale wrote: "What a ride! Entering this place I honestly had no idea what to expect. A few challenges & firepits later here I am leaving with lifelong friends and the girl of my dreams. Thanks for having me."
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Most Love Island Australia fans are in agreement that this has been the most satisfying Australian season of the show to date. Our hearts have been positively warmed by the gorgeous budding relationship between fan favourites Tyra and Kale, and we've thoroughly enjoyed seeing Love Island UK alum, Lucinda, take on the villa for a second time.
Tonight's finale episode started in the same tongue-in-cheek tone we've come to love on this show, with host and national treasure Sophie Monk reading a fairytale book titled "Love, Lust & Lip Filler". She jokes that the islanders "lived in harmony for approximately 14 seconds before they realised that finding love is not easy when everyone around you is also really, really, really hot".
Monk quickly reminded us that three couples are vying for the title of the winners of Love Island Australia and, of course, a $50,000 cash prize: Tyra and Kale, Savannah and Clint, and Lucinda and Zac.
Just like the 2022 season, the finale for 2023 was pre-filmed in Spain with three alternate endings prepared to reflect each potential outcome. So that means while Monk encouraged the public to vote during the finale, this was really only to determine the season's winner and the version of the finale that aired tonight. It also means that the islanders didn't find out whether they had won or lost until we did.
Throughout the finale, we were taken on a trip down memory lane to revisit all of the lovely moments and drama from the past six weeks. Monk also popped over to the fire pit to chat with the previously eliminated islanders about their time in the villa to confirm that no one had any regrets (that they would admit to, anyway).
As for which Love Island Australia 2023 couples are still together and which aren't, only time will tell. While we're fairly certain that Lucinda and Zac are still together, and we love to think that Tyra and Kale are too, there's no word yet on whether Savannah and Clint are. Meanwhile, Chloe and Kale, and Nate and Georgia looked cosy during the finale, however, since it was filmed shortly after their elimination, it's impossible for us to know if anything has changed in the time since.
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