Footballer swaps Love Island for treatment room

A semi-pro footballer is heading back to the treatment room after being dumped from a Love Island spin-off show after less than a week.

Injured Billericay Town player Montel McKenzie, 27, was taking part in ITV's Love Island: All Stars in South Africa, which features contestants from previous series.

But in a post on X on Wednesday, the non-league Essex club said it could "confirm that Montel McKenzie was dumped from Love Island last night".

It added McKenzie would "return to recovering from his injury he suffered against Hashtag United".

McKenzie appeared on the TV dating show Love Island in 2023 and was coupled up with social media personality Leah Taylor for most of his time in the show's villa.

He entered the programme on day 16, and managed to stay it until day 38.

Last week, Billericay Town said McKenzie was out for four to six weeks due to injury, so had "decided to return to the television arena".

But the player's stint on the the spin-off - where Love Islanders return for what is described as "a second shot at romance" - lasted just a few days.

After announcing their right-back had been ejected from the TV show's lavish villa in South Africa, Billericay Town added: "See you soon, Montel."

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