Derivation of DO-BITS, a score for predicting success on Love Island: A retrospective, observational cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To derive a score for finishing in the top three positions of the television show, Love Island, UK. Design: A retrospective study was undertaken using data from all previous contestants. Results: A score predicting show success termed DO-BITS (different coupling approaches [islanders pursuing one or many people on the show], Original islander [being on the show from the start], [being] Brunette, [having] intimate relationships on screen, Tradesman [occupation before being on the show] and Short name [having a four-letter first name]) was developed. The accuracy of this score in this derivation cohort yielded a C-statistic of 0.85. Conclusion: This simple, novel score provides a practical tool to assess the likelihood of success on Love Island. Love Island is a reality television program that has attracted a lot of attention, including participation from medical and scientific professionals. In order to help people decide whether to potentially make a life changing move to participate on the show, we sought to identify predictors of show success. Our results enabled the generation of a simple score called DO-BITS that provides a practical tool to assess the individual likelihood of success on Love Island, potentially aiding decision making regarding whether or not to apply to participate on the show and/or behavior as a contestant on the show.