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Who is George Knight? Meet Love Island 2026 contestant and footballer

George has a tough decision to make.

Published: Sunday, 7 June 2026 at 9:20 pm

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Love Island returned earlier this week and has provided non-stop drama ever since.

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The launch episode alone saw the Islanders work out amongst themselves who they wanted to couple with, along with introducing two bombshells who had to choose one boy and one girl to be dumped from the villa.

One of those bombshells was George Knight, who as viewers found out tonight (7 June), has left the villa.

Scroll on to learn more about the Love Island 2026 contestant and why he left the show.

George Knight - key facts

A topless man posing with his hands on his hips, smiling ahead in front of a colour block background.

George Knight. ITV

Age: 28

Job: Semi-professional footballer

From: Winchester

Instagram: @georgewknight

Why did George leave Love Island?

George left the Love Island villa due to "private reasons".

A Love Island spokesperson confirmed: "For private reasons, George has left the Love Island villa."

Since leaving the villa, George shared a brief statement on social media, writing: "Family comes first, always. Leaving the @loveisland 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."

Who is George Knight?

George Knight is a semi-professional footballer from Winchester, and is open to a bit of friction in the Love Island villa.

"I don’t seek drama but I'm quite naturally competitive but if there’s something in my way, I want to put my best foot forward," he said.

When it comes to dating and relationships, George doesn't tend to make any rash decisions and rather, reviews options.

He explained: "You don’t want to get too deep, too early on. I’m open to getting to know everyone but as weeks go by, figure it out. I play midfield so maybe I’d go for that. If someone walked in that was straight away my type obviously I’d jump at it."

How old is George Knight?

George Knight is 28 years old.

What football team does George Knight play for?

George Knight is a defensive midfielder for Dorking Wanderers FC. He previously played for Bracknell Town FC and signed with Dorking earlier this year in February.

He previously studied in the US on a football scholarship at Lander University in South Caroline, where he represented Charlotte Independence, Lander Bearcats, Ocean City Nor’easters and Lansing United.

On his signing, George said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be on board. A massive thank you to Marc and his management team for the warm welcome at training this morning.

"I’m really looking forward to kicking on and contributing to getting this club back to where it belongs.I’m looking forward to meeting the fans on Saturday – up the Wanderers!"

George smiling ahead, topless with microphone around his neck.

George Knight. ITV

Is George from Love Island 2026 on Instagram?

Yes, George from Love Island 2026 is on Instagram and can be followed via the handle @georgewknight.

What is George's 'type on paper'?

For George, his type is: "Tanned brunettes, quite minimalist looking, not much make up, dresses really well, funny, charismatic, all of that stuff."

Read more on the Love Island 2026 cast:

Love Island airs Sunday to Friday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Add Love Island to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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