It’s been a wild ride of breakups, makeups, egg-eating, and some serious chemistry on Love Island Australia 2024, but the season’s come to a sizzling end with the crowning of the winners. The big question on everyone’s lips though: are Em and Mercedes still together, or has their love fizzled like yesterday’s leftover margarita?
The grand finale aired Monday night, and host Sophie Monk kept us on the edge of our seats before finally announcing the winning couple. The contenders? Mia and Niko, Kaylah and Eric, and of course, Em and Mercedes. And by a popular vote, the lovebirds taking home the $50,000 prize were none other than Em and Mercedes!
“I was just in a state of disbelief,” Em told WHO after watching the finale. “I almost started crying – and if you know anything about me, I don’t cry, but I was just honestly so overcome with emotion.”
Are Em and Mercedes still together?
Em’s journey on the show was anything but smooth sailing. Starting out in a friendship couple with Indigo (because, let’s face it, there were zero sparks there), she quickly moved on to Taylor. Things were peachy for a hot minute… until they weren’t.
Enter Mercedes, one of the last Bombshells to shake up the Villa. While Mercedes first coupled up with Sophie, sparks between them didn’t quite fly, but once Mercedes and Em connected, it was game over for everyone else.
But, what happened after the cameras stopped rolling? Did their connection survive outside the bubble of bikinis and sun loungers?
Well, we finally have the answer: they’re not together anymore. Yup, the duo parted ways shortly after the show. According to the pair, they’re still good friends, but long-distance life proved to be the ultimate love buzzkill. Mercedes headed back to his home turf, while Em stayed local, and their romance slowly fizzled out.
“The day after we finished in the Villa, we were still close…we were in the hotel room planning for the future” Mercedes spilled to WHO. “But once we went back to our respective countries, it kind of unravelled from there.”
Whilst love may not have been on the cards, both Em and Mercedes are living their best post-Love Island lives. Em’s got her eyes set on travelling to Tokyo and Bali and hitting the slopes for some snowboarding. Meanwhile, Mercedes is focused on saving his prize money and laying low.
And what about the friendships? Em’s kept up with quite a few Islanders, including her ride-or-die Mimi. As for Mercedes, he’s stayed close with Steph and Em, but otherwise, long-distance friendships aren’t exactly his strong suit either.
For the next batch of Islanders, both Em and Mercedes have some sage advice:
“Don’t read the comments,” Em said. “Stay confident, stay true to yourself, and just have fun.”
Mercedes added, “Remember, you’re always being recorded. Every. Single. Moment.”
So there you have it. Em and Mercedes may not be soulmates, but they gave us a season to remember. Whether it’s love or heartbreak, one thing’s for sure: Love Island never fails to deliver the drama we all live for.
