Winter Love Island returned with a bang in January, hosted for the first time by new host Maya Jama, who took over for Laura Whitmore.
The January episode of the ITV2 dating series aired in 2020 and was followed by a second installment, recorded in South Africa, in 2023.
There were plenty of passionate snogs, hideaway shenanigans, Casa Amor bust-ups, and meme-worthy moments in the season, but there could only be one winner pair.
Following the elimination of Will Young and Jessie Wynter in the semi-final, the finalists were Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan, Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins, Shaq Muhammad and Tanya Manhenga, and Tom Clare and Samie Elishi.
But who took home the £50,000 cash prize and the popular vote?
Who won Winter Love Island?
Kai and Sanam were named Winter Love Island 2023 champions after weeks of partying in South Africa’s wine area.
They couldn’t believe it when Maya revealed their names, but followers on social media were ecstatic, with one saying, ‘YES, the correct pair won!’
Sanam is also the first Casa Amor girl to win the ITV2 dating programme, because she married Kai after he selected her over Olivia Hawkins.
Sanam sweetly let slip during the pre-results interview that she adored Kai as she showered her lover with accolades.
She told Maya: ‘For me, it was always Kai, like I always said he was my number one.
‘Obviously, he is a very attractive guy but I fell in love with everything.
‘Everything about him, I just, I just loved it. I really didn’t think I was gonna be here. I’m going to cry!’
Friendship couples Lana and Ron finished second, Samie and Tom finished third, and Tanya and Shaq finished fourth.
What have Kai and Sanam done since?
Kai and Sanam are extremely much in love, and they both often post love-up photos on Instagram from glamorous parties and vacations.
In fact, things are going so well that they’re forced to reject engagement speculations after Kai staged a proposal. He confessed that he would want to propose to Sanam on one knee one day.
Sanam, a former social worker, has stated that while she enjoyed her profession, she is unsure about her future in the sector in light of her sudden celebrity.
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Kai, a former Science and PE teacher, has joined a new management team and hopes to work with Sanam to make a difference.
The pair has publicly said that they intend to use their platform to assist and encourage people as they transition to life outside of the villa.
Winter Love Island is available to stream on ITVX.
