love island elephant juice© Photo: ITV

What does elephant juice mean? Love Island star Luca Bish's unusual phrase explained

This is actually too cute!

TV & Film Writer
July 15, 2022

Love Island contestants past and present have always chosen to use coded conversations during their time in the ITV2 show's villa to subtly say what they want to say without, well, saying it.

MORE: Love Island fans are convinced this couple has left the villa

The latest in this string of confusing villa lingo? Luca Bish's phrase 'elephant juice', which he has been seen saying to partner Gemma Owen. But what is the meaning behind it and why does Gemma seem so delighted to hear it? Find out below…

WATCH: Love Island's Gemma calls Luca by Jacques' name in awkward moment

Love Island's favourite fishmonger Luca dropped 'elephant juice' into conversation twice now, with the most recent incident being in Thursday night's show during the recoupling ceremony, which saw the pair choose each other once again.

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MORE: Michael Owen addresses whether he'll enter Love Island villa to surprise daughter Gemma

So what does Luca mean when he says 'elephant juice'? Well in short, it makes it look like you are saying 'I love you' as it causes the mouth to move in a similar way. It seems he's keen to let Gemma know how much she means to him without saying those three important words or getting too serious.

© Photo: ITV

Luca has been seen saying 'elephant juice' to Gemma twice now

While Gemma has not been seen telling Luca' elephant juice' back, it seems that it's only a matter of time as the couple are going from strength to strength following their first-ever date in the villa earlier this week.

© Photo: ITV

Gemma and Luca recoupled with each other in Thursday's show

Coded conversations have become popular amongst Islanders over the years, but they're usually a bit more X-rated than Luca's cute phrase and allow them to discuss things they'd much rather not have aired on TV for all their family and friends to see.

MORE: Love Island viewers confused as show 'breaks rule' with series first

During the seventh series in 2021, Faye Winter devised a very clever system to allow the girls to reveal to each other how far they had gone with their partners in the bedroom. Using the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) levels, which range from Entry Level to NVQ3, the girls were able to divulge their latest bedroom antics free from judgement.

Meanwhile, in the 2020 Winter series, the boys used a secret code over breakfast to recap what they had done the night before. While it certainly got confusing at times, it seems that tomatoes referenced a bit of above the waist touching, avocado meant things got a little steamy and toast indicated that they had gone all the way.

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