St Albans’ own Love Island contestant has been dumped from the villa.

Although Stephanie Lam only entered the Mallorcan reality show on July 16, the 23-year-old was forced to fly home after a public vote merely a week later, on July 22.

On leaving, she said: “My Love Island experience was literally every emotion I’ve ever felt in my entire life, jammed into the craziest and most mental week and I loved every single second of it, even the tears, believe it or not.”

Stephanie vowed she would miss the other girls in the villa when the decision was announced.

Fellow contestant Alexandra Cane said: “Steph has become one of my closest friends in here and I absolutely adore the girl so she will be greatly, greatly missed.”

Stephanie was in a platonic coupling with Josh Mair, saying she “loved [him] to pieces” but not in a romantic way: “For me right now, I see you more as like a best friend than anything romantic at the moment, but I’m not ruling anything out. And you know, I love you to pieces I just don’t know in what way yet.”

In private, she confessed: “Maybe we are not compatible at all on a romantic level but we are so compatible on a friendship level, which we really, really are.

“I feel like a horrible person for saying this, but I am just being honest at the end of the day.”

Stephanie attended Beaumont School on Oakwood Drive, before going off to Northumbria University to study fashion communication.

She is now an account manager at M24Seven - an internet infrastructure provider.

Before she entered the villa, Stephanie described herself as “really fun”: “I am a very affectionate person and I’m a loyal friend and also girlfriend.

“It would be hard for me to split anyone up but we are all there for the same reason.”

She has more than 40,000 Instagram followers and is friends with former Love Island 2017 star Chris Hughes.

Watch the next episode of Love Island tonight on ITV2 at 9pm. The live final of the hit show will air on July 30 at 9pm, ending at 10.35pm for an extra long episode.

Do you know Stephanie? Get in contact by emailing HertsAd@Archant.co.uk